Dean Elgar retirement: Proteas coach pegs a lack of Test cricket

Proteas coach Shukri Conrad has lifted the lid on Dean Elgar’s retirement from international cricket.

Conrad believes that Elgar’s decision is motivated by a simple lack of Test cricket.

Dean Elgar’s retirement down to lack of Test cricket

The coach also denied any sort of rift between himself and the former skipper.

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“The fact that we haven’t got much Test cricket is part of the reason we arrived at the decision we arrived at,” Conrad said as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo. 

“Ideally, we would like to play more Test cricket because the more Test cricket we play, the more opportunity we’ve got to blood cricketers for the future. If we have fewer Tests, that means I’ve got very little opportunity to blood young cricketers. Sometimes we arrive at decisions like Dean’s now because of a lack of cricket and a lack of opportunity to blood young players.”

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A Proteas star through and through

Conrad reserved special praise for Elgar’s fighting spirit which he feels is emblematic of South African cricket ideals.

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“Dean epitomises what a South African cricketer and almost what a South African person is about: resilience, dog fight, pride in performance and that ability to never back down,” Conrad said. 

“Those are all the elements that Dean has brought to his extensive international and first-class career and to all the sides he has played in. Hopefully if some of the young bucks that are going to be stepping up into those big shoes, half of the characteristics and the qualities that Dean had, then we will be in a good space.”

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Dean Elgar retirement no surprise

Conrad revealed that the decision came as no surprise to him.

“The conversation and the decision and the outcomes have been exactly how Dean and I discussed it,” he said. 

“It is absolutely no surprise to me that we are at the place where Dean has decided to retire against India. I am very comfortable and thrilled to have Dean available for this series. It’s a massive series for us as a team. It’s a huge series for Dean. And It is going to be quite an emotional one. Hopefully we can give him the perfect send-off as well.”