Test Final Must Trump IPL, Says South Africa Coach Shukri Conrad

Shukri Conrad (Image Source: Google)

Coach Shukri Conrad said on Tuesday that South Africa's players must prioritise the World Test Championship final over the closing stages of the Indian Premier League.

Conrad said there was an agreement that South Africa's players would return from India on May 26 –- the day after the original date of the IPL final.

This would enable them to have time to prepare for the Test final against Australia at Lord's in London from June 11 to 15.

He said he did not expect that to change, despite the IPL being rescheduled to finish on June 3 after a postponement caused by recent hostilities between India and Pakistan.

"Our initial agreement with the IPL and the Indian board was that our players would return on the 26th," said Conrad.

He cautioned that discussions between Cricket South Africa and the Indian board were still taking place.

"As it stands, we're not budging on this. We want our players back on the 26th."

Conrad and captain Temba Bavuma both expressed support for star fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, who will spearhead the bowling attack after serving a one-month ban for recreational drug use.

"I am thankful that the process that was followed was in line with world standards," said Conrad. "I wasn't going to pre-empt anything and we allowed the process to run as it did.

"KG (Rabada) is a massive player for us. The big thing for us was to close ranks around him and ensure that he is in a good space.

"He's served his sentence and all that I am interested in now is KG producing the sort of performances we know he is capable of."

- 'Focus on individual' -

Bavuma said he had had private talks with Rabada, who he described as a close friend.

"From a captaincy point of view, the process has passed and it's now a focus on the individual, the human, and making sure he gets the support he needs and that he will be in the best state to perform."

Asked whether he expected Rabada to face criticism or sledging from the Australians, Bavuma said the fast bowler had faced controversy before, notably in South Africa's most recent series against Australia in 2017/18.

Rabada was initially suspended after a confrontation with Australian captain Steve Smith, who was himself banned after the "sandpaper-gate" Test at Newlands in Cape Town.

Rabada appealed successfully against his ban and finished as player of the series.

"We saw how that series ended and how he performed," said Bavuma.

But Bavuma admitted that the situation this time was different.

"There will be a lot of people who will point fingers at him, some who have skeletons in their own closet, but I am not one of those people."

Bavuma said he was fully fit after missing South Africa's domestic four-day series final in April because of a recurrence of an elbow injury.

Batsman David Bedingham has recovered from a broken toe suffered while batting for Durham in an English county championship match against Yorkshire in April.

Conrad said he expected South Africa to go into the final as underdogs but said that was purely on the basis of experience.

"When we play our best cricket we've every chance of beating Australia. I give us more than an even chance," he said.

The players will assemble in England on May 31 ahead of a warm-up match against Zimbabwe in Arundel from June 3 to 6.

Squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wkt)