South African captain Temba Bavuma finally broke his silence on his team’s head coach Shukri Conrad’s “Grovel” comments against the Indian cricket team. The controversy escalated to a peak level, leaving Indian fans and former cricketers outraged due to Conrad’s sarcastic remark.
The 35-year-old also opened up on Jasprit Bumrah’s insulting comments, saying that the Indian team players crossed their line and voluntarily involved themselves in on-field debate.
Bumrah mocked the Proteas skipper’s height with the name “Bauna”, which means “Dwarf”.
Was Temba Bavuma Well Aware of His Head Coach’s Comments?
During the post-match interview, Temba Bavuma clarified that he came to know about Shukri’s comments on Day 05 of the recently concluded second test:
“No! I didn’t know about this. This morning I came to know about his comments. As I was busy with the match proceedings, I didn’t have time to discuss with him. Shukri is nearly 60 years of age, and he will take a look at his comments,” Bavuma said.
Conrad’s comments came during the fourth day of the second test, where his team seemed dominant enough to secure their first test series win in India after 25 years.
After a 30-run triumph in the opening test at Eden Gardens, South Africa succeeded in accomplishing a whitewashing victory of 2-0 and dominated India with a 408-run win in the second test.
Bavuma Disappointed with Bumrah’s Bauna Comment
Highlighting Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s ‘Bauna’ comment, Temba Bavuma pointed out the opponent team’s players’ unprofessional behavior:
“See! There are certain players (didn’t reveal the names) who crossed their limits throughout this series. I am not defending that our head coach didn’t cross his line, but he will certainly be thoughtful about it,” Bavuma added.
Is Grovel an Offensive Word? South African Coach’s Comments!
No! Grovel isn’t an official word in English. Rather, it is typically used to dominate or exhaust the opponent team’s supremacy or arrogance.
Shukri Conrad made a controversial remark on Day 04 of the Guwahati test. After the fourth day concluded at stumps, the Proteas coach commented:
“Yeah! We are clear to make the Indians spend as much time on their feet as possible. Mainly, we wanted India to grovel to the maximum extent, make them stay out on the field, bat them out completely, and then pose a challenge for them to survive on this evening as well as on Day 05,” Conrad said.
The other meaning of Grovel means to make someone crawl or lie on the ground with face downwards. While the other version means to make someone behave humbly and respectfully.
South African coach’s comments weren’t meant to harm racial sentiments, but annoyed some Indian fans. In reality, his words weren’t racist because the real meaning of the word is giving up, being humiliated, or being lowered. But, still, people might view it as fostering unfair racial differences.
For instance, when the West Indies toured England for a test series in 1976, the English skipper Tony Greig said he wanted to make the Windies grovel. However, Greig’s comments ended up in embarrassment when the visiting side crushed England by 3-0 in the 5-match test series.
Former Indian Cricketers’ Reaction to Conrad’s Grovel Comments
Former Indian cricketers like Parthiv Patel, Cheteshwar Pujara, Anil Kumble, and Aakash Chopra reacted instantly against Shukri Conrad’s comments:
‘A Disrespectful Word’: Parthiv Patel
Parthiv confidently said that the South African coach was well aware that he was disrespectful with his comments:
“Yeah! The South African coach wasn’t aware of the historical significance of that word. I, too, doubt about it. It was a disrespectful word, he commented. As an Indian team member, all you can say is ‘After playing a good level of cricket, you have reached this position. This is fair enough, but it doesn’t mean you have to use such language, which was not at all required.
I hope we can expect Conrad to make an apology on the same day. You might compete hard and give your best, but such comments cannot be encouraged on the cricket field,” Patel said.
‘Didn’t Expect Such Comments From Head Coach’: Anil Kumble
Speaking on JioHotstar, Anil Kumble believes that the word ‘Grovel’ was inappropriate in the conduct of sportsmanship:
“Definitely! There is an unknown history to be shared for the unversed. Fifty Years back, an English captain used the same word against the West Indies, and we all know what happened later.
Even though South Africa might have almost won the series, when you’re on cloud nine, you should choose your words carefully, which matters the most. In such situations, humility becomes most important. Didn’t expect such comments from a team’s coach or support staff.
When you’re on the verge of securing victory, staying humble is extremely crucial, not to make comments like this,” Kumble said.
‘Indian Players to Understand the Meaning of Grovel’: Aakash Chopra
Former Indian cricketer and present commentator Aakash Chopra said that every player in Team India’s dressing room might have understood the meaning and history of ‘grovel’:
“Look! I believe every player of the Indian cricket team’s dressing room would have well realized what it exactly means and learn a history lesson on when it was used previously and then what happened later,” Chopra said.
Also Read: Shock Return: BCCI Set to Reappoint Rohit Sharma as India’s ODI Captain!
Final Opinion
Shukri Conrad’s choice of words has created an unexpected controversy, hurting the opponent team’s sentiments and its battle to preserve its legacy.
Conclusively, it is expected that Cricket South Africa might confront this complaint privately to avoid the players and coaching staff getting involved in another conflict.
