South African Test coach Shukri Conrad Cricket South Africa with regular captain Temba Bavuma
Shukri Conrad, the coach for South Africa's Test team, made a bold statement saying, "If there is no T20 League SA20, there will be no Test cricket in South Africa." His words came as a response to criticism about South Africa sending a second-tier team to New Zealand because the top players are occupied with the T20 league. Conrad expressed the belief that the national team should figure out a way to coexist with the T20 league in the cricket schedule. Due to clashes in scheduling, South Africa is dispatching a team to New Zealand led by a captain yet to make his Test debut, along with seven players who haven't had their Test debut either. This decision has faced criticism, particularly accusations that South Africa is showing disrespect to Test cricket. The criticism has been particularly vocal from Australia, with former captain Steve Waugh stating that this marks the defining moment in the decline of Test cricket. When asked about Waugh's comments, Conrad responded, "I don't think Steve Waugh will get too much out of what I said. But it's good to see that everyone outside South Africa has become an expert on South African cricket.".".'
He also expressed the view that there weren't many options available, saying, "Our hands are tied. Everyone understands that SA must be 20. SA has to be 20 because it is the lifeblood of South African cricket. Without it, we wouldn't actually have Test cricket. We have to find a way to coexist with this league; we have to coexist with other leagues in the world to maintain the sustainability of the game