South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad flags scheduling concerns over New Zealand series

South Africa's head coach, Shukri Conrad, has acknowledged that there are bound to be question marks around the significance of the five-match T20I series between New Zealand and the Proteas, but underlined that it has also given exposure to several players sitting on the fringes.

Conrad insisted that the series has been "exciting" despite being deprived of the top-tier talent from both countries from the onset to the fag end.

"I think it's been an exciting series. Whether it is fully-fledged international cricket, I think the jury is out on that, and many people will have their opinions on it," Conrad said. "But as soon as you pull on that Proteas jumper, and I'm sure the same for the Kiwis, you represent your country, and you've got to try and make them proud."

The hosts included eight members of their T20 World Cup squad for the first three games, including their designated captain, Mitchell Santner, before the outfit saw the inclusion of several fringe players for the final two games. 

Meanwhile, for South Africa, Keshav Maharaj, George Linde, and Jason Smith, who were a part of South Africa's T20 World Cup contingent, featured in the series.

Conrad admitted that the scheduling of the series could have been done differently, with several players flying out to Pakistan and India to join their respective PSL and IPL franchises.

"It was always a tough one coming after a World Cup," he added. "It was never about the exit in the World Cup, but a lot of people would be questioning the value of the series and why you would have it. I think we all did at some stage."

The Proteas head coach also highlighted that the series has tested their home-grown talent in many ways, and something which is harder to replicate in T20 leagues like SA20.

"When you look at some of the younger guys, again, that have become household names in SA20, as soon as you expose them to international cricket, that there's still a gap and there's still a pressure and a scrutiny that they would never have experienced before.

"So I think on that front, it's been an invaluable exercise to see guys like Connor Esterhuizen, and [Nqobani] Mokoena step up, [Prenelan] Subrayen on debut, like I said, and deliver the goods."