Crossed wires may usually be a sign of trouble, but for South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad, they are a strategic asset heading into the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh. As the sides prepare to face off at the Wanderers this Sunday, both camps are leaning heavily on coaches who have deep experience with the opposition. Getting your wires crossed is never a good idea. Quite another to be able to lean on people who don’t have to Google what they’re talking about because they’ve been there, done that, and got the tracksuit to prove it, it’s one thing to do your homework on the opposition and the conditions. But seriously: “He’s a hell of a player. “The last thing I want to do is create what would look like from the outside like a revolving door situation with No. I’m expecting that to continue throughout the summer with Bangladesh and England [who will tour in December and January] playing on the Highveld.”. Except that much of the above shouldn’t be taken as the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Cricket South Africa confirmed on Wednesday that former Bangladesh bowling coach Charl Langeveldt has joined the support staff as a consultant. Langeveldt fills the void left by bowling coach Piet Botha, who is currently away for personal reasons. Langeveldt previously served as the Bangladesh bowling coach for over four months in 2019 before taking up a similar role with the Proteas. Almost never: it’s an advantage in a certain cricket sense. Langeveldt is a fine coach who seems to add to the skills of every attack he encounters.
This trend of sharing personnel spans across both dressing rooms. Bangladesh has recently bolstered their own staff by hiring former South Africa interim head coach Malibongwe Maketa as an assistant, while batting specialist Dale Benkenstein also joined the Tigers this week. Conrad acknowledged the value of this familiarity, noting that Langeveldt’s arrival was a timely addition for this specific tour. Doubtless Phil Simmons would say something similar about having Maketa and Benkenstein around. If that game in Potch was still going on he’d probably still be batting.”.
“While Piet has a bit of a break we thought Charl would be the ideal person, and he’s fitted in really well,” Conrad said during a press conference. “We’re excited we have someone of his calibre for this tour in particular.” Beyond the bowling crease, Langeveldt will contribute to batting meetings to provide technical analysis of the Bangladesh bowlers, offering insights that Conrad believes would be foolish to ignore. “He’ll give us some really good insights as to what to expect from [Bangladesh’s] various bowlers,” Conrad said. “He won’t just be in the bowlers’ meetings; he’ll definitely be in the batters’ meetings as well sharing a lot of his ideas.
Conrad is wary of the changing landscape of Bangladesh cricket, particularly their improved fast-bowling stocks.
He noted that players like Taskin Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud have moved the visitors beyond the “pop-gun” attacks of previous years, making them a legitimate threat on Highveld pitches. Or, if you like, plenty of intel incestuousness going back and forth. I think he’s going to be a massive influence for us.”.
The South African coach also expressed admiration for Towhid Hridoy, the talented batter who recently scored an unbeaten 350 for Bangladesh A and a double century against the West Indies in Sylhet. Who scored an undefeated 350 for Bangladesh A against their South Africa counterparts in Potchefstroom in September and 242 not out in a Test against West Indies in Sylhet l, conrad had also taken notice of Towhid Hridoy. Stubbs is also not in the current squad.
On the selection front, South Africa is finalizing their top order. With the No. 3 spot proving elusive, Conrad is weighing up options between Tony de Zorzi and Zubayr Hamza. De Zorzi is returning from injury, while Hamza has been in strong form, tallying 437 runs at an average of 54.63 across 11 first-class innings in 2026. Conrad confirmed that one of these two will occupy the first-drop position, with the other likely left out of the final XI. “We’ll see how the next couple of days pan out, but one of the two of them will bat a three and the other one won’t play.”.
Despite the uncertainty at No. 3, the coach expressed a desire for consistency in the batting lineup. “I’d be very surprised if the top seven changes between now and the end of the English tour,” he said. Meanwhile, fast bowler Anrich Nortje remains sidelined following a groin injury sustained against Australia. Conrad expects him to return for the second Test at Centurion, which begins on November 23. “He’s due to fail now, hey,” Conrad quipped. Bedingham, the most recent incumbent, was dropped after scoring 156 runs in five innings against Australia last month. 3,” Conrad said. “Against Australia I felt that, especially in the top of the order, we required a certain character against the short-ball plan. He also all but ruled out Anrich Nortje — who bowled only 21 deliveries in the second Test against the Aussies at St George’s Park before limping off with a groin problem — until the second Test in Centurion, which start.
Tactically, the home side is unlikely to field an all-pace attack. Conrad believes Wiaan Mulder’s presence as an all-rounder provides enough balance to include a specialist spinner. He dismissed the prospect of utilizing five seamers, labeling it a waste of resources if four specialists cannot finish the job. While he remains guarded about his final XI, Conrad admitted he is not above using these “crossed wires” to keep the opposition guessing as the series opener approaches.
