Proteas cricketers should be celebrated, says coach Conrad

National Test coach Shukri Conrad says South Africans should show more appreciation for current and rising cricket stars, following the Proteas’ convincing win over India in Centurion this week.

It was a spectacular all-round performance against the world’s top-ranked team, as the hosts secured victory by more than an innings within three days.

Opening batter Dean Elgar made 185 runs in his penultimate Test, while middle-order batter David Bedingham making 56 on debut, and fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and debutant Nandre Burger took seven wickets each in India’s two innings.

“Obviously we put the team first, but we also want to start highlighting performances from individuals that can put our name up in lights,” Conrad said after the game.

“We drool about a lot of players internationally and maybe it’s time we started drooling about our own players.”

With Elgar set to retire at the end of the second Test against India in Cape Town next week, and other senior players missing due to injury, Conrad felt the likes of Burger and Bedingham proved they had sufficient succession plans in place to ensure a bright future for the national squad.

‘We’re too humble’

He believed, however, that there needed to be more recognition for Proteas players making significant contributions at the highest level of the game.

“We’ve proven that we can produce players, but for far too long – and this is not being ‘windgat’ in any way – sometimes we are too humble as a group,” Conrad said.

“We are so quick to talk up other players and we don’t give our players enough credit – like the debutants this week, and Dean – these guys were absolutely phenomenal.”

Meanwhile, aside from regular captain Temba Bavuma being sidelined with a hamstring injury, the Proteas will also be without fast bowler Gerald Coetzee at Newlands next week.

Elgar will captain the national team in the final Test of his career.