Former SA opening batsman Adam Bacher says he was always impressed by Shukri Conrad’s calmness under pressure as a coach.
Conrad’s appointment as Proteas Test head coach was confirmed by CSA on Monday, with Rob Walter given the limited-overs job.
Conrad was head coach of the Highveld Lions and Cape Cobras during SA’s franchise era, winning four trophies with the two teams. The 56-year-old most recently coached the SA U19 side.
Bacher, who played under Conrad in Joburg and Cape Town, told News24 that he was surprised it had taken the coach so long to get the chance to coach at the highest level as “he’s got everything that you’d want to have in a coach”.
“What impressed me the most about Shukri was his ability to stay calm when things don’t go your way,” Bacher added.
“With many coaches I’ve had in the past, you can feel the pressure they’re under. It might be that their job is on the line and the team is not doing well.
“But with Shukri, part and parcel of being a coach is to take some things onto your shoulders. He’s never let the players know if jobs are in jeopardy if the team doesn’t win.
“I found that he was completely calm, and I loved that. When we weren’t doing so well, it made people much more relaxed and there was no panic.
“And, if you think about the current scenario with the Proteas side now, there are guys that are lacking in confidence and all that.
“And when we thought we were doing well and you think there’s nothing left to work on, that’s when he climbed into us. He took the opportunity to push us harder and made us realise we’re not the finished product.”
