Proteas Test coach Shukri Conrad and captain Temba Bavuma: A ...
Bavuma's elevation to South Africa Test skipper contributed to the hasty international retirement of opener Dean Elgar, but Conrad was always sticking to his guns.
Conrad said at the time: "We've come a long way, Temba and I. He knows how I want to do things, and I've got a good understanding of how he wants to be involved and run things."
Bavuma's batting form has flourished since being placed in the leadership role with it all starting in a three-match ODI series on home soil against England in January-February 2023.
Rob Walter was appointed Proteas white-ball head coach and was on his way from New Zealand, where he had been in charge of a domestic side, but could not make it to Bloemfontein and Kimberley in time.
Conrad stepped in as interim white-ball head coach and had an open and honest discussion with Bavuma at the Mangaung Oval.
The chat proved significant, with the skipper cracking scores of 36, 109 and 35 as the Proteas won the series 2-1 against a team who at the time were still world champions.
The Shukri Conrad Test era started against West Indies with a two-match series at the end of February 2023 and Bavuma started dreadfully with the bat when he copped a pair of ducks in Centurion.
The captain though bounced back beautifully, smashing 172 in the second innings of the second Test at the Wanderers to help the Proteas seal a clean sweep of the series.
It was Bavuma's first hundred in the longest format after a seven-year wait and repaid the faith that Conrad had shown in him.
Speaking after that match-winning knock, Bavuma said: "I definitely feel fully backed. I haven't had this feeling for a while. I am not here to make comparisons between Shuks and other coaches. But the synergy seems to be there.
"At the moment, things are going well with the coach and the team. We'll try to keep riding on that."
The 34-year-old, like the Proteas Test team, has gone from strength to strength under the guidance of Conrad with them on the verge of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The Cape Town-born batter did not have to wait more than a half a decade for another Test century when he passed the three-figure mark against Sri Lanka in Durban last month in what was another crucial series victory.
Bavuma has batted in 15 innings (including the three ODIs against England) with Conrad calling the shots in the dressing room and has scored 812 runs at an average of 58.
In the five-day format the tenacious right-handed batter has scored 632 runs in 12 innings since January 2023, that includes two hundreds and four fifties.
With the WTC final at Lord's in June 2025 within grasp, the Proteas know that under the leadership of Bavuma and Conrad they have a chance annexing an ICC trophy if they reach the Home of Cricket.
