• Coach Shukri Conrad says letting players be themselves has helped the team win matches.

• The Proteas have lost just one test match since Conrad took over in January.

South Africa’s cricket coach Shukri Conrad says keeping things real is behind the team’s recent success.

Speaking before Thursday’s test match against Sri Lanka, Conrad said his players are free to be themselves.

“We just get on with things. What we continually encourage is for the guys to be themselves, both on and off the field, because we’ve got a host of characters,” Conrad told reporters.

The Proteas are leading Sri Lanka 1-0 in the series. They have lost only one test match in five since Conrad started coaching them in January.

“Winning obviously helps as well, and let’s not undervalue that, but they’re just a great bunch of guys who get on with it,” he said.

“They train hard, they enjoy each other’s company away from the cricket field, and nothing is artificial. They’re a very authentic group in terms of their personalities, and it’s something we encourage as well. Just do you and be you and we’ll make this whole thing work.”

The 57-year-old knows results matter most but believes giving players freedom helps them perform better.

“At the end of the day we get judged on cricket results and performances, not the types of characters we are,” he said.

“But they are very talented and hopefully they can continue to deliver the results.”

Pictured above: Shukri Conrad.

Source: @atnyuswa