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South Africa red-ball coach Shukri Conrad is not paying too much attention to his team’s route to the finals of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25, but he admits that their team schedule Relatively easy compared to others team.
In the first Test at Centurion on December 29, 2024, South Africa defeated Pakistan by two wickets to secure a berth in the WTC final for the first time. However, it was Team South Africa’s WTC bike structure that caught everyone’s attention after the WTC finals in 2025.
South Africa coach Shukri Conrad not bothered by criticism over easy route to 2025 WTC final
There are only 12 Test matches on the calendar, with South Africa not having a single red-ball match series Over two games, this in many cases helped them qualify for the 2025 WTC Finals. The Proteas’ toughest challenges are against India at home and New Zealand away, but they don’t have much trouble.
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But the remaining matches at the WTC are against lower-ranked teams such as Bangladesh, West Indies and Pakistan, making it easier for Cricket South Africa to reach the final. Even their most recent match against Sri Lanka at home was a 2-0 sweep, further strengthening their chances of reaching the WTC final ahead of the Test series against Pakistan.
Unlike other teams, apart from a brief series in Bangladesh, South Africa did not face strong teams like Australia and England, nor did they face any daunting subcontinental tours. After qualifying for the 2025 WTC finals, some felt South Africa’s road to the summit lacked the challenge faced by other teams, but Shukri Conrad remains unmoved.
I won’t apologize: Shukri Conrad
The South Africa head coach insists they made the most of the opportunities in front of them, so there’s nothing better than an apology for taking advantage of a favorable schedule. Konrad hit back at his critics, insisting the Proteas deserved their place in the WTC finals. The coach also said that being a loser sometimes makes things easier.
Shukri Conrad was quoted by The Roar as saying: “We’re excited to play Lord’s next year. People abroad will be shouting about our easy draw. Well, I won’t apologize for that. I think the good thing about getting a result at home is that you get to play as It’s easy to play the favorites because you’re not expected to.”
Earlier, former England captain Michael Vaughan criticized the structure of the WTC, stressing that South Africa had a much easier schedule than other teams. England, for example, played 22 games, almost twice as many as the Proteas, and faced heavy penalties for slow overs, but again failed to reach the 2025 WTC final.
They beat almost no one to reach the final: Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan told Fox Cricket, according to The Roar: “If you look at South Africa, they’ve barely beaten anyone to get to the final. I don’t understand the table; I don’t understand what we’ve got system.
“They beat Pakistan at home, they beat Sri Lanka at home. I have nothing against South Africa but the system got them to the final, they drew 1-1 at home with India and they haven’t played England or Australia – I just don’t like the system.”
