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“We Don't Wear…” South African Coach Dumps Chokers Tag Ahead Of WTC Final vs Australia

Poulomi Chakraborty

Shukri Conrad Backs South Africa Ahead Of The WTC Final (Source: @robertmarawa/x.com, @ImTanujSingh/x.com)Shukri Conrad Backs South Africa Ahead Of The WTC Final (Source: @robertmarawa/x.com, @ImTanujSingh/x.com)

The excitement of red ball thrills is touching sky as the ‘ultimate’ showdown of the Test cricket is just a few hours away. After qualifying for the WTC final clash for the very first time, the Proteas are eyeing the trophy.

In the past, the South African side has always struggled on the big stage, and those failures earned them the tag of ‘Chokers’. But ahead of the crucial clash, coach Shukri Conrad refuses to let the past haunt them.

Conrad Shakes Off Choker Curse for South Africa

For a long time, South Africa has delivered some of the most memorable performances, but the big stage has always been a reason for their heartbreaks. In the final matches, they have always fallen short, and their dreams have been dashed multiple times. Even in the 2023 ODI World Cup, they delivered an outstanding performance in the group stage but fell short later.

The latest heartbreak came in the 2024 T20 World Cup final as South Africa faced a narrow defeat against India and lost another final. While talking to the ESPNcricinfo before the WTC final, South Africa’s coach Shukri Conrad don’t want to see this as burden as they are eyeing to as their are aiming for stronger bounce back.

“You can only win it if you play in finals. The more finals you play in, you obviously improve your chances of winning. It doesn't weigh heavy on us. It's unfair to burden this group with anything that's gone before. We know we want to and we need to win another ICC event (after the 1998 Champions Trophy), but whatever tags come along, we don't wear that,” Conrad said.

Confidence Shrinks Inexperience To A Tiny Speck

Before facing the mighty Aussies in their maiden WTC final clash, South Africa has named an inexperienced squad, as only skipper Temba Bavuma, Keshav Maharaj, and Kagiso Rabada have played more than 50 Tests. Despite the inexperience raising eyebrows, coach Shukri Conrad believes their confidence will make them tough contenders against the mighty Aussies.

“Inexperience of the batters is very apparent in terms of the number of Tests played, but I think there's a quiet confidence amongst the batting group. They might not have the superstar names amongst them, but I think as a collective we're pretty confident, he added.

Ahead of the big clash, South Africa made a smart move as they signed ace English bowler Stuart Broad as their bowling consultant. That will add more depth to their bowling unit in English conditions. As the match is set to go live on June 11, the cricket world awaits a classic red ball showdown.