Proteas coach Shukri Conrad lauds SA20 as an 'unqualified success'

Proteas coach Shukri Conrad calls SA20 an 'unqualified success,' crediting the T20 league for bridging the gap to international cricket. He cites the development of young players and a recent series win in New Zealand as tangible proof.

Proteas men's coach Shukri Conrad has been involved at every level of the game in South African cricket. From club and youth level through to academy, provincial, franchise and now international, Conrad has seen it and done it all. The 58-year-old's assessment of SA20 would therefore be far from patriotic hyperbole, but instead carry plenty of gravitas.

"SA20 has been an unqualified success for us," Conrad said. "You only need to look at the numbers, the calibre of players," he said, according to a release. The tangible proof has been taking the field under Conrad's watch in New Zealand, where a group of youthful Proteas have done battle against the Black Caps, runners-up at the recent ICC T20 World Cup. The Proteas won the series 3-2 after the decider at Christchurch on Wednesday, but more importantly for Conrad has been the development of the young players who have cut their teeth in SA20 over the past four seasons.

Bridging the Gap to International Cricket

The leap from domestic cricket to the international arena is notoriously steep, often swallowing promising talents whole. Yet, as Conrad points out, high-calibre franchise leagues such as SA20 are shifting the paradigm. "I think it's almost a global trend for every nation to have it, let's call it, a 'souped-up T20 league'", Conrad said in the build-up to the fifth and final T20I in Christchurch on Wednesday. "It does bridge the gap between domestic cricket and international cricket. We've seen that the amount of overseas players that come in, the experience that is then shared amongst our younger boys who haven't been exposed to international cricket.

Rising Stars Shine on Debut

"So, when they do make the step up, while the pressures are still there, the bigger crowds that they are accustomed to playing in SA20." SA20 Rising Stars such as Pretoria Capitals batter Connor Esterhuizen and Joburg Super Kings spinner Prenelan Subrayen, along with Paarl Royals teenage seamer Nqobani Mokoena, have all debuted on this New Zealand tour.

"When you look at some of the younger guys, again, that have become household names in SA20, as soon as you expose them to international cricket, that there's still a gap and there's still pressure and a scrutiny that they would never have experienced before," the Proteas mentor said. "So I think on that front, it's been an invaluable exercise to see guys like Conor Esterhuizen and Mokoena step up, Subrayen on debut, like I said, and deliver the goods," Conrad concluded. (ANI)

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