Sunil Gavaskar said South Africa coach Shukri Conrad should have considered the long-standing positive relationship between India and South Africa before using the word “grovel” after the second Test in Guwahati.
Gavaskar noted that Indian investment in the SA20 league supports many South African players, giving them opportunities to build careers. “Five of the six SA20 franchises are Indian-owned. These owners support not just the international stars but also fringe players,” he said.
He added that India played a key role in South Africa’s re-entry into international cricket after over 20 years of isolation, hosting their first match upon return. “Indian and South African cricket have shared a collaborative relationship for decades. Matches have always been competitive but never hostile. The remark was ill-advised—wrong time, wrong place,” Gavaskar said.
He suggested Conrad could clarify his comment rather than apologizing. “In the heat of the moment, things can be said that go a bit over the top. Acknowledging it would be accepted by everyone,” he said.
Conrad had said, “We wanted them to really grovel… bat them completely out of the game,” referring to India.
South African legend Dale Steyn disagreed with Conrad. “I almost don’t want to comment about it. Certain things you just don’t say. South Africa were dominant—saying nothing is enough. I’m not on that boat,” Steyn said.