SA Coach Shukri Conrad Admits Slip-Up Over ‘Grovel’ Comment Post India Tests

South Africa coach Shukri Conrad said he regretted using the word “grovel,” admitting it overshadowed his team’s Test win and was never meant to cause harm.

South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad has admitted that his “grovel” comment during the Guwahati Test took attention away from his team’s 2-0 Test series win over India. He said he should have chosen his words more carefully, as the remark carried historical sensitivity in South Africa.

Conrad explained that the intention behind the comment was only to highlight how hard India needed to work. However, the interpretation quickly grew beyond what he expected. Speaking after India won the ODI series 2-1, he added that the controversy placed him at the centre of the conversation instead of the team.

“On reflection, it was never my intention to cause any malice or be anything other than humble. Could I have been smarter with the word I used? Absolutely. It left space for people to attach their own context, when all I meant was that India should have to work really hard,” the coach said when speaking after SA’s 2-1 ODI loss.

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“Being humble is a cornerstone of our Test team and all our teams, really. People shouldn’t even know who the coach is—it should always be about the players. Unfortunately, the noise became about me. I’m going to be careful with what I say because any word can be pulled into a different frame. It’s a pity it spiralled the way it did, but there was definitely no malice intended,” Conrad added.

Shukri Conrad Praises Kohli and Rohit for Setting High Standards

Conrad also said the ODI series defeat felt like a missed chance to secure wins over India in both formats at home. This was something last achieved in the 1990s. He praised India’s senior batters, including Player of the Series Virat Kohli and former captain Rohit Sharma, noting the example they set for South Africa’s young lineup.

“Our youngsters got to see firsthand what the best in the world look like. Virat and Rohit showed the standards required, and that’s an experience we have to take forward. We needed a far more competitive total. When you’re slightly off against a team like India, they make you pay,” he concluded.