'Bloody walloping': SA coach Shukri Conrad on defeat to NZ
What's the story
South Africa's head coach, Shukri Conrad, has described his team's defeat to New Zealand in the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup semi-final as a "bloody walloping." The loss ended South Africa's unbeaten run in the tournament and their hopes of winning their first-ever World Cup trophy. Despite being tagged as favorites after seven consecutive wins, they were thrashed by the Kiwis at Eden Gardens, suffering a nine-wicket defeat.
Honest assessment
Not mincing words
Conrad didn't mince his words in assessing the defeat, saying it felt like a "snotklap," a South African term for a proper hiding. He said, "I don't know if tonight was a choke. I thought it was a bloody walloping. I think in order for you to choke, you must have had a sniff in the game." The coach added that they never got into the game and were completely dominated by New Zealand's disciplined performance.
Match analysis
South Africa's batting woes
South Africa struggled with their batting, losing both left-handers in the top three to New Zealand's offspinner Cole McConchie. They were 77/5 just after the halfway stage of their innings. Conrad praised New Zealand for their disciplined effort, saying they "strangled us up front, we lost wickets and we didn't get any sort of momentum going."
Choking reputation
The 'choker' tag continues to haunt South Africa
Despite winning the ICC World Test Championship final last June under Conrad's guidance, South Africa are yet to win a white-ball World Cup. Their history of faltering at crucial moments, including the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final in Kolkata, has given them an unwanted "choker" tag. Conrad believes this perception is unfair but expects it to continue.
Match
How the match panned out
South Africa suffered a batting collapse (77/5) after being invited to bat. However, Marco Jansen's explosive and unbeaten knock of 55 powered the Proteas to 169/8. In response, a 117-run opening stand between Tim Seifert and Finn Allen shattered South Africa's hopes. While Allen hammered a 33-ball century (100*), the Kiwis won by nine wickets in just 12.5 overs.