"Could have chosen a better word" - Shukri Conrad issues clarification over 'grovel' controversy after IND vs SA 2025 ODIs

South Africa coach Shukri Conrad has clarified that he did not intent to 'cause any malice' when he made the controversial 'grovel' comment during the Guwahati Test. He explained that the Proteas wanted India to spend a lot of time on the field, so that things would get tougher for the hosts. Conrad also admitted that his choice of words could have been better.

South Africa hammered India 2-0 in the two-match Test series played ahead of the ODIs. While the Proteas won a lot of plaudits for their on-field performance, a number of cricket legends like Sunil Gavaskar and Dale Steyn criticized Proteas coach Conrad for his comments on India during the Guwahati Test.

Speaking after South Africa lost the ODI series 2-1, Conrad addressed the controversy surrounding his usage of the word 'grovel' during the Guwahati Test. He explained (via ESPNcricinfo):

"On reflection, it was never my intention to cause any malice or not be humble about anything. I could have chosen a better word because it left it open for people to put their own context to it. The only context I ever intended it to be was that we wanted India to spend a lot of time in the field and make it really tough for them. I've got to be careful what word I use here now because context could be attached to that as well."

The South African coach's comment came after Day 4 of the second Test in Guwahati, with the Proteas in complete command of the game. Asked about South Africa's delayed declaration, he had replied:

"We wanted the Indians to spend as much time on their feet out in the field, we wanted them to really grovel, to steal a phrase, bat them completely out the game, and then say to them, 'come and survive on the last day and an hour this evening.'"

South Africa went on to win the match by 408 runs, handing India their biggest defeat by margin of runs. However, Conrad's use of the word 'grovel', which was infamously used by Tony Greig when referring to the West Indies team in 1976, did take some sheen off the win.

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"I still think it's a perfectly good English word" - Shukri Conrad stops short of issuing apology

While Conrad admitted that he erred in his choice of words during the Guwahati Test against India, the Proteas coach stopped short of issuing an apology. Describing grovel as a good English word, he added that he left it open to many interpretations. The 58-year-old stated:

"It's really a pity. Maybe what it did do was spice up the ODI series, and especially with India winning that now, the T20 series becomes even more so. The unfortunate thing is, with all the noise that that word caused, I still think it's a perfectly good English word, but I just left it open to too many interpretations. What it did was take away the gloss of what was a really special win for our Test team. It's unfortunate, but there was definitely no malice intended."

India hammered South Africa by nine wickets in the third ODI in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, December 6. Chasing a target of 271, they romped home in 39.5 overs.