The Proteas have put themselves in a great position to qualify for next year’s ICC Test Championship final by recently beating Bangladesh handsomely 2-0 away from home in Bangladesh in really tough conditions, which they battled with in the past.
The victory was nothing short of a remarkable achievement as the last time they achieved some success in the sub-continent was back in 2014 when they beat Sri Lanka 1-0. For this young and inexperienced test group it is absolutely extraordinary for them to come to Bangladesh, dominate two test matches and in the bigger picture of things - it gives them the opportunity to play in that final at the home of cricket- Lords next year in June 2025.
It was a special series win that will give the players lots of confidence, belief and determination for the Summer test series ahead in South Africa. Reflecting on the series victory The Proteas Test Coach Shukri Conrad was a happy man when he spoke to the media.
On so many levels it was a special win and so important for this group, especially what lies ahead over the next couple of months which makes it even more exciting, Just the belief that it instils in this group how we went about our business and the growth that you see within them on a daily basis.
Coach Shukri then went on to speak about how important the preparation was.
I think it’s all about our prep. We prepared really well. We created extreme conditions in Pretoria and I think we kept talking around the mentality that we want this group to have, for them to back what they’ve got, to show their character in everything they do.
You must want to create an environment where it’s okay to make mistakes, but we are still going to get tasted in bigger ways going forward. For south African teams when we go to Pakistan and India we take a lot of confidence from this result.
What Do The Proteas Need To Do?
The equation is simple: The Proteas will need to win three of the next four test matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, respectively. Sri Lanka will play a two match test series in November, which will take place in Port Elizabeth and Durban. Pakistan will also play a two-test match series when they come over the festive season holiday in December and early January- where they will play on Boxing Day in Centurion and New Year’s in Cape Town. Coach Shukri then briefly touched on the two test match home series coming up.
Getting the job done won be easy but is happy the South Africans have their own destiny in their own hands. “It’s a lot easier said than done, this is the way you’d prefer it to be. It’s all about the first test against Sri Lanka in Durban now and then we’ll take it from there.
Furthermore, before the test matches take place, The Proteas white ball team under Coach Rob Walter are taking on India in a 3 match T20 series, which is the rematch of the recently played ICC T20 world Cup final in the Caribbean where India beat the Proteas to become world champions. There will certainly be a lot of edge in this contest with The Proteas looking for revenge but more importantly it will set the tone for the summer ahead of Cricket at home.
