New Delhi, Dec 7: South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad has addressed the controversy surrounding his use of the word “grovel” during the recent Test series in India, acknowledging that he should have chosen his words more carefully while insisting there was no ill intent behind the comment.
Speaking to the media after South Africa’s 2–1 ODI series defeat in Visakhapatnam, Conrad said he never meant to be disrespectful when he remarked that his team wanted to make India “grovel” during the Guwahati Test.
The comment, made after South Africa batted deep to set India a daunting 549-run target, drew sharp criticism from past players including Sunil Gavaskar and Dale Steyn due to the historical connotations of the term.
“On reflection, it was never my intention to cause any malice or appear arrogant,” Conrad said. “I could have used a better word because it allowed people to attach their own meaning to it. All I meant was that we wanted India to spend a lot of time in the field and make things as tough as possible.”
Conrad admitted he had reflected on the matter with guidance from family and team staff, recognising the need to repair the unintended fallout. “It’s a pity because it took some shine off what was a special achievement for our Test side,” he said. (Agencies)
