Shukri Conrad issued a warning to teams aspiring to compete with Proteas, stating that his squad is not yet operating at full capacity.
This statement came amid Proteas' recent epic 2-1 victory over Australia at home. This win marked the team's second triumph since its return to the squad. Thanks to this success, Conrad's players climbed to the top of the ICC Test rankings. Furthermore, they are the reigning World Champions in Tests following their victory in Lord's last year.
However, Conrad and his team cannot afford to believe they have achieved such unprecedented success while living in an illusion. During the Australian tour, there were moments when Proteas found themselves in difficult situations, often due to their own unforced errors. Moreover, the batting unit remains highly inconsistent, and changes were made mid-series to address weaknesses.
This is why Conrad is not currently considering a return to the Test World Cup Final at the Oval next year, especially given that England and the improving Bangladesh will visit South Africa later this year.
In his typically candid style, Conrad stated: 'We can be amazing one minute and absolutely terrible the next. But ultimately, we are much more amazing than terrible. We still lack certain areas where we need to improve, and I think that's a nice thing for me that there is still so much room for improvement.' He added: 'I don't think you ever want to walk around and say you are the best. I think it comes with a sense of knowing. And it's definitely not about me or anyone else puffing out their chest and saying, 'Well, we did it, both of them'. ' He emphasized that the main goal has always been 'how we are going to get to the top and stay there for a long period of time.'
Part of achieving consistently high results involves not relying solely on the same players to finish the match. Conrad believes that the Australian series, particularly the decisive match in Newlands, will help strengthen the confidence of 'other' players, especially in the batting unit, after Ryan Rickelton and Vian Mulder demonstrated centuries that brought victory under pressure.
He noted: 'Two brilliant shots yesterday from Rix and Vessy. I think these two shots will give us a lot of confidence before the rest of the summer. They will give us a lot of belief that we are not too dependent on two senior players at the top or the lower order to secure the necessary score. I think this will permeate the entire squad. So yes, it will give us a lot of confidence for the future.'
Furthermore, Conrad fully realizes that his team cannot relax after the Australians were sent back to Australia with downcast heads. He stated: 'Every Test series becomes the biggest Test series, and the next Test series is the biggest summer series. Bangladesh will come here with fast bowlers who can be very, very effective on Highveld surfaces. One must not forget that they recently beat Australia. And yes, they could be defeated by the West Indies, but they will come here with great confidence. They now have a South African coach in the dressing room. So Mali will share a lot of information. But no, the next series is the biggest series. And it is critically important for us to take advantage of this.'
