AUS vs SA 2025: 'All our batters need to show off like Dewald Brevis' - Coach Shukri Conrad sets batting template ahead of Australia ODIs

Published - 17 Aug 2025, 13:35 IST | Updated - 17 Aug 2025, 13:35 IST

South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad urged his batters to express themselves a bit more after the Proteas lost the third T20I against Australia at Cazaly's Stadium in Cairns on Saturday, August 16, to lose the three-match series 1-2.

Dewald Brevis was the star performer for South Africa during the series. The young batter, who had smashed a record-breaking century in the second T20I, followed it up with a blistering half-century on Saturday. Brevis finished as the highest run-getter in the series, amassing 180 runs at a mind-boggling strike rate of 204.55.

Conrad urged the South African batters to take a leaf out of Brevis' book and show off their aggressive batting skills. He also hoped that Brevis would not tone down his flamboyant batting style as he gains more experience in international cricket.

"I think sometimes we can be too humble. We don't show off enough to the world what we're capable of doing. Like Brevis does. He's obviously going to grow older, but I hope he continues to play like a 22-year-old. Sometimes, with experience, guys tend to adjust the way they play. He's a breath of fresh air," Conrad was quoted as saying after the third T20I by India Today.

"This has got nothing to do with the way Australia play. They've got a blueprint, and there are times when it looks absolutely brilliant and it's box office stuff. And there are times where you can have them in trouble, like we did in the first couple of games. But they stay true to it," he added.

While analysing the performances of his players, Conrad noted that batters like Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram can take the attack to the opposition bowlers, but he felt that they may have put themselves into shells too much. The Proteas coach said that while the results may not go their way, he wants the players to go for the jugular.

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"What does that mean for us? On the batting front, guys like [Tristan] Stubbs and [Rickelton] and Aiden himself, there's so much they can do. But I feel they've maybe boxed themselves in too much. I know it's a different format, but the Test final was not so long ago, and Aiden showed exactly what he's about. I'm sure we're a couple of games away from unlocking that state of genius. It's not always going to result in winning. But, yeah, I just want us to show off a bit more. I live in Cape Town, and I get to see a lot of it there," said Conrad.