South Africa men’s head coach Shukri Conrad says he chose the wrong word when he declared his side wanted India to “grovel” during the Guwahati Test. Speaking in Visakhapatnam after South Africa’s 2-1 defeat in the ODI leg, Conrad accepted the phrase overshadowed an historic 2-0 Test triumph – their first series win in India for a quarter-century – and conceded it “left it open for people to put their own context to it”.
Key points first
• Conrad’s comment came on the fourth evening of the second Test, moments after South Africa had stretched their lead beyond 500.
• The word carried uncomfortable echoes of Tony Greig’s infamous 1976 prediction that West Indies would “grovel”, a remark still viewed as racially loaded.
• India were bowled out on day five, suffering their heaviest home defeat.
• Reaction from former players Sunil Gavaskar and Dale Steyn was swift and critical.
• Test and white-ball captain Temba Bavuma twice deflected questions, saying it was “an issue for the coach”.
Conrad fronted the media only after the ODI series concluded. “On reflection, it was never my intention to cause any malice or not be humble about anything. I could have chosen a better word because it left it open for people to put their own context to it,” he said. “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.”
How the phrase emerged
Asked during the Test why South Africa delayed their declaration, Conrad explained at the time: “We wanted the Indians to spend as much time on their feet out in the field, we wanted them to really grovel, to steal a phrase, bat them completely out the game, and then say to them, ‘come and survive on the last day and an hour this evening.’”
Those comments travelled quickly, especially given the historical baggage. Within hours, highlight reels of Greig’s 1976 interview resurfaced, and the debate moved beyond tactics to issues of language and sensitivity.
Former India opener Gavaskar described the wording as “unfortunate”. Steyn, commentating on the series, said the coach “might have poked the bear”. Social media went the same way you would expect – plenty of outrage, plus the odd defence citing dictionary definitions.
Conrad, meanwhile, stayed silent publicly but sought opinion privately. “I was in touch with a network of people that I trust, family back home, and people on our staff,” he revealed. “It’s really a pity. Maybe what it did do was spice up the ODI series, and especially with India winning that now, the T20 series becomes even more so.”
He added: “The unfortunate thing is, with all the noise that that word caused, I still think it’s a perfectly good English word, but I just left it open to too many interpretations. What it did was take away the gloss of what was a really special win for our Test team. It’s unfortunate, but there was definitely no malice intended.”
Balancing frankness with humility
Since taking charge of the red-ball side nearly three years ago, and assuming the all-format brief six months back, Conrad has been praised for candour. His earlier call for the Proteas to “show-off more” was perceived as healthy encouragement rather than arrogance. He insists that approach can coexist with modesty.
“Being humble is non-negotiable,” he said, acknowledging that words matter even in the heat of competition. The coach also hinted he may curb the quips: “I’ve got to be careful what word I use here now because context could be attached to that as well.”
Players kept largely out of it
Bavuma’s refusal to intervene made sense – captains generally avoid interpretations of another man’s language – yet it left a gap that amplified the story. With Conrad finally addressing it, the focus can move back to cricket, where South Africa have mixed fortunes: dominant in whites, still patchy in coloured kit.
Looking ahead
A three-match T20I series begins in Bengaluru on Tuesday. Both camps agree the limited-overs results won’t rewrite what happened in the Tests, but the mood has certainly shifted. India enter with momentum, South Africa with points to prove and, perhaps, a newly cautious vocabulary.
No formal apology has been offered, and none has been demanded by the opposition. For now, Conrad trusts his clarification suffices. Whether the debate lingers probably depends on how quickly the next ball is bowled – cricket tends to move on, even if the internet does not.
