Shukri Conrad’s eyes behold beauty

Shukri Conrad's eyes behold beauty, but they are hidden behind mirrored sunglasses as he approaches reporters at Lord's.

Conrad's father, Dickie, died last year, and South Africa's batting coach Ashwell Prince lost his wife, Melissa, in December. The team's natural response was to reach out to them with gestures of support

The team's victory over Australia was a surprise to many, with South Africa being considered the underdog. Conrad said, "We're the world champions. We create our own reality. We played one of the big three now, and we beat them."

Conrad also addressed the issue of South Africa's limited experience in the WTC cycle, saying, "We play whatever's put in front of us. There's a lot of things we'd like but we can't get. So we just play the cards we're dealt."

The match itself

South Africa won the match by five wickets, with Aiden Markram making 136 and sharing a stand of 147 with Bavuma. Conrad praised the team's performance, saying, "Someone always steps up. Aidan and Temba delivered. But you cannot make light of the 27 that Wiaan made. That settled the changeroom."

The significance of the win

Conrad said, "We never talk about what it means to the country, but today we can talk about that. This means a hell of a lot for the country." The win is significant not just for the team, but for the country, and for people like Conrad, who grew up during the apartheid era.