SHUKS’ SHAKE-UP

BEFORE heading to Zimbabwe - fresh off the emotional high of winning the World Test Championship at Lord’s - Proteas coach Shukri Conrad likely had a clear mental checklist of goals for the tour.

Chief among them would have been grounding his players again after such a momentous triumph, and ensuring that the youngsters stepping in for several WTC final regulars made the most of their opportunities. The aim: to broaden the talent pool ahead of more demanding challenges in the subcontinent later this year.

By the end of the tour, those goals had been met. Conrad was satisfied that his team sustained their high standards across both Test matches.

Conrad, after the innings and 236-run victory in the second Test at the Queens Park Oval on Tuesday, wysed: “I think the important and the most impressive thing for me was how we managed to keep the standards as high as we set them - both the first Test and the second Test.

“Batting first, we found ourselves in a little bit of trouble against the new ball and then how the youngsters, Lhuan-dre [Pretorius] and Brevi [Dewald Brevis] managed that in the first Test. And the same in the second, we found ourselves in trouble and then Wiaan played a monumental knock.

“And then on the bowling front, just the disciplines we were able to maintain throughout and constantly keep the Zimbabwean batters under pressure, that for me was really impressive. 

“And then obviously the catching … It again is something that we attach a high value to and the way we, in the field, we were really, really good as well. So that was particularly impressive for me.”

Conrad and the Proteas will now switch their focus to white-ball cricket with a T20 tri-series, featuring Zimbabwe and New Zealand, starting on Monday in Harare.