South Africa's head coach Shukri Conrad has expressed regret over his choice of words following his team's One Day International series defeat to India. Conrad specifically addressed the controversy stemming from his use of the term "grovel" during the recent second Test match in Guwahati.
Reflecting on a Controversial Choice of Words
In a post-match press conference held in Visakhapatnam on December 6, Conrad stated that it was never his intention to cause any malice with his remarks. He conceded that he could have selected a better word to convey his team's strategy. The coach's original comments came during the Guwahati Test when explaining why South Africa did not declare their second innings early, despite holding a substantial lead. He had said the plan was to make the Indian team "really grovel" and to "completely bat them out of the game."
While the Proteas executed this plan flawlessly, handing India a massive 408-run defeat—their largest-ever Test loss—the language used by Conrad sparked immediate backlash. The term "grovel" carries heavy historical baggage in cricket, famously used by England's Tony Greig in 1976 against the West Indies in a context widely perceived as racist. Conrad's remark drew criticism from legends like India's Sunil Gavaskar and South Africa's own Dale Steyn, with many feeling it soured the spirit of friendship between the two cricketing nations.
Context, Noise, and Moving Forward
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Conrad elaborated on his reflection. "On reflection, it was never my intention to cause any malice or not be humble about anything," he said. "I could have chosen a better word because it left it open for people to put their own context to it. The only context I ever intended it to be was that we wanted India to spend a lot of time in the field and make it really tough for them."
He lamented that the ensuing controversy overshadowed a significant victory for his Test side. "The unfortunate thing is, with all the noise that that word caused, I still think it is a perfectly good English word, but I just left it open to too many interpretations," Conrad added. "What it did was take away the gloss of what was a really special win for our Test team." He emphasized that humility remains a cornerstone for South African teams and expressed hope that the focus would return to the players.
ODI Series Wrap-Up: India's Dominant Chase
The discussion followed the conclusion of the ODI series, which India won convincingly. In the final match, South Africa, batting first after India won the toss, posted 270 all out in 47.5 overs. Quinton de Kock top-scored with a brilliant 106, supported by captain Temba Bavuma's 48. For India, Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/41, while Prasidh Krishna took 4/66.
India's chase was led by a magnificent, unbeaten maiden ODI century from young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 116*. He shared a dominant 155-run opening stand with skipper Rohit Sharma (75) and then an unbroken century partnership with Virat Kohli, who smashed a quickfire 65* off just 45 balls. India reached the target comfortably in 39.5 overs, sealing the series.
As the teams now prepare for the T20 series, Conrad's hope is that the focus will shift entirely back to the cricket on the field, leaving the verbal misstep firmly in the past.
