South African cricket captain Temba Bavuma has publicly addressed the furore surrounding head coach Shukri Conrad's use of the word "grovel" during their recent, historic tour of India. Bavuma conceded the phrasing was unfortunate but insisted it reflected the fierce competitive spirit of the Test series rather than any malicious intent.
The Controversial Comment and Its Fallout
The incident occurred during South Africa's landmark red-ball campaign, where they secured a 2-0 Test series victory, ending a 25-year wait for a series win in India. However, the triumph was briefly overshadowed when Conrad's remarks during the second Test in Guwahati sparked a media storm. The coach's statement that South Africa wanted to make India "grovel" drew immediate comparisons to historically charged, racially insensitive language in cricket.
In his column for ESPNcricinfo, Bavuma revealed his own initial discomfort. "The first time I heard about it, it had that unsavoury taste to it," the Proteas skipper wrote. The comment led to intense scrutiny, with Bavuma finding himself repeatedly questioned by the media in India to clarify the coach's meaning. "Shukri also took some heat for his 'grovel' remark. I was put under pressure by the media on that side, asking me to clarify the comments that were made," he explained.
Clarification and Context from the Camp
Bavuma stated that he believed Conrad himself was the best person to provide context. The coach later addressed the issue after the conclusion of the ODI series. "I thought Shukri was the man best positioned to give context to it all," Bavuma wrote. "Shukri spoke after the ODI series and put that issue to bed. In hindsight, he said he could have chosen a better word and I agree with him."
This acknowledgment served to defuse the situation, framing the remark as a poor choice of vocabulary in the heat of a monumental sporting contest. The tour itself was a rollercoaster for South Africa; after their stunning Test success, they went on to lose both the subsequent ODI and T20I series to the hosts.
A Reflection of Series Intensity
For Bavuma, the entire episode underscored the high stakes and raw emotions involved in the fiercely contested Test matches. He framed it not as a scandal, but as a testament to what the series meant to his team. "I think it just reminded me how tough and competitive the Test series was and what it meant to certain individuals within the group," the captain reflected.
The controversy, while significant, ultimately became a footnote in a tour highlighted by South Africa's historic Test achievement. The team's performance broke a decades-long jinx on Indian soil, marking a major milestone for Bavuma's leadership and Conrad's coaching tenure, albeit now also remembered for a verbal misstep that required careful clarification.
