Proteas up for West Indies showdown — Conrad

Proteas Test coach Shukri Conrad said a lack of cricket and preparation going into the first Test against the West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval on Wednesday cannot be used as an excuse.

Conrad took charge of his first Test series on home soil against the Windies in the 2022/23 season won 2-0 by the Proteas.

Since then, red-ball cricket for the men in green and gold has been remarkably scarce. 

Over the two years, Conrad’s men have contested just two series, which they drew against India in December 2023 and January 2024, before taking an inexperienced group of players to New Zealand, where they suffered a 2-0 whitewash against the Black Caps. 

Now Conrad’s men are in the Caribbean looking to put everything they prepared for into their performances across the two Tests.

“We know the calibre of players we have at our disposal, it is just about them finding that ideal prep, and then believing that whatever we have done was more than adequate,” Conrad said on Monday. 

“We certainly won’t have any excuses with regards to our prep or lack of playing time. 

“We believe in our skill set, we know that we are a quality Test side. 

“Runs on the board will be critical, [having] guys bat for periods, and then putting spells together, which is the basics of Test match cricket, and against the West Indies in these conditions, [we need to] be able to perform those basics for extended periods and be ultra disciplined in everything we do.”

Speaking briefly about their four-day clash against the WI Championship XI, Conrad said it was quite pleasing to see his charges play with so much intensity.

“We decided to bowl first [because] I wanted to expose the bowlers who have not had a lot of mileage coming into that game. 

“The bulk of the batters also got to spend some time in the middle, so it was a really good exercise. We got everything that we wanted out of it and it was really good to see the guys play with the intensity you would associate with a normal Test match,” Conrad said. 

Asked if conditions, specifically the heat in Port of Spain, will affect the length of a bowler’s spells, Conrad said while it could play a role, it would not be the deciding factor in how long any particular bowler will operate. 

“Heat is always a factor here, but there is always a chance of rain. 

“I think the forecast is for spells of rain throughout the day, which is almost par for the course in Port of Spain. 

“Guys sweat profusely in these conditions, the humidity is a factor, which speaks to the balance of your side and also the personnel, who are able to bowl those longer spells, which bowlers we will use in shorter spells and what role the spinners will play,” he said. 

When asked if Tristan Stubbs would occupy the No 3 spot for the remainder of the ICC World Test Championship cycle, he replied: “Tristan will be backed, he will be given a good run in that No 3 position.

“I am going to give him a good run, whether that is all of the matches, I would be surprised if we didn't back him throughout the rest of the cycle.”