FILE - Shukri Conrad (pictured) and Rob Walter are set to be unveiled as the new Proteas Test and limited overs coach respectively. Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
Cape Town - Shukri Conrad and Rob Walter are set to be named Proteas’ Men’s Test and limited-overs coaches respectively on Monday.
IOL Sport understands that Cricket SA are set to unveil the duo to succeed former coach Mark Boucher.
Conrad, Walter, Malibongwe Maketa, Adrian Birrell, Richard Pybus and Lance Klusener - who withdrew from the process - were on the shortlist.
South Africa have only once before split the national team coaching roles when Gary Kirsten (Test) and Russell Domingo (ODI and T20I) shared the position. Domingo, though, succeeded Kirsten into the all-format role within six months.
Unlike their predecessor Boucher both Conrad and Walter did not play international cricket, but are vastly experienced domestic coaches.
Conrad was a highly-talented all-rounder in his playing days, having represented SA Schools in 1984 along with Daryll Cullinan and Clive Eksteen with Allan Donald as 12th man.
The 55-year-old, though, returned to the South African Board fold as a senior and represented the Western Province team in the Howa Bowl.
Conrad played five matches for the Western Province ‘B’ team in the unified era before turned his attention to coaching at an early age upon being appointed Gauteng B coach from 1999-2001, the Highland Strikers for two years and then Lions in 2004.
He had success with the Strikers winning the 1-Day Cup before returning home to Cape Town to coach the Cape Cobras at Newlands.
It is here where Conrad played a major role in developing future Proteas such as JP Duminy, Vernon Philander, Rory Kleinveldt, Stiaan van Zyl and managing senior internationals such as Herschelle Gibbs, Graeme Smith, Ashwell Prince and Justin Kemp.
Conrad won trophies across formats with the Cobras bringing the MTN 1-Day Cup, Standard Bank Pro20 title and the first-class SuperSport Series title to Newlands, while leading the Cobras to the semi-final of the inaugural Airtel Champions League T20 semi-finals in India.
He was surprisingly sacked after leading the Cobras to the SuperSport Series title in April 2010 thereafter he went to coach Uganda.
It was a short sojourn in Africa before returning to South Africa where he was appointed National Academy coach and also took the South Africa ‘A’ team on a tour of England before settling as the South Africa Under-19 coach for the past couple of seasons where the likes of Dewald Brevis played under his tutelage at the recent ICC U19 World Cup in the Caribbean.
Conrad’s most recent success was with the SA U19 team that emerged victorious in Cricket SA’s Division 2 T20 Challenge.
Quinton de Kock got the previous home ODI series against England off to the perfect start when he grabbed a 💯
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) January 15, 2023
The #Proteas take on England in a 3-match ODI series from 27 Jan - 1 Feb 🏏
Grab your tickets 🎟️ https://t.co/op0CjweaZs#SAvENG #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/KY62vBnPUB
Walter, meanwhile, has been in the Proteas’ changing room before when he worked for six years as the national team’s fitness trainer while doubling up in that role at Delhi Daredevils and Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League.
He progressed into a head coaching position at the Titans in 2013 where he entrenched the SuperSport Park-based franchise as the dominant force in the country by winning three trophies before moving to New Zealand. Walter coached Otago Volts for five years and has since transferred to the Central Stags.
Both coaches have an arduous road ahead of them with the Proteas Test side just returning from a 2-0 drubbing in Australia, where the batting unit was particularly poor. There are also major concerns over the long-term future of Test captain Dean Elgar.
Equally, the white-ball teams have under performed with the Proteas ODI team most likely having to enter an ICC qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe later this year if they are to progress to the World Cup in India in October.
The T20 team are also still suffering the after-effects of their shock defeat to the Netherlands at the T20 World Cup last year that led to their exit, while there is also concern whether Temba Bavuma should remain as the captain.
Walter will be first under the spotlight when the Proteas face England in a three-match ODI series in Bloemfontein later this month, while Conrad’s first assignment will be the two-match Test series against West Indies in February.
@ZaahierAdams
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