New convenor of selectors Patrick Moroney says Shukri Conrad is “comfortable” working with him, despite the Proteas coach’s preference for hand-picking his own teams.
CSA confirmed Moroney’s appointment last month, ending a two-year vacancy in one of the most pivotal roles in South African cricket.
He will report to director of cricket Enoch Nkwe and his first assignment will be overseeing selections for the upcoming white-ball tour of Australia, which includes both T20I and ODI series.
“It was quite a rigorous process,” said Moroney after his appointment. “We had interviews … I won’t lie, it was tough. I’m not sure who all the competition was, but I’m very happy to have been appointed. I’ve been part of the setup in a different role before, and now I’m really looking forward to what lies ahead.”
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When Conrad was appointed head coach, he initially chose to operate without a convenor of selectors, sparking debate about autonomy in team selection. But Conrad has since welcomed Moroney’s appointment.
“I’ve worked with Shuks at U19 level,” Moroney told SportsBoom.co.za. “He’s always done things his own way, but he’s quite comfortable working with me. We’ve always had a solid working relationship. We may have different views walking into the room, but we’ll come out with one collective decision. That’s important.”
Moroney emphasised that his relationship with Conrad is built on transparency.
“We’re both the kind of guys who cut straight to the chase. There’s a mutual respect for the roles we play – and that’s crucial.”
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Beyond the Australian tour, Moroney is determined to strengthen South Africa’s talent pipeline.
“The plan is to pick the best possible teams and ensure we remain competitive across formats,” he said. “But it’s also about creating a consistent flow of players from domestic cricket into the national setup – particularly in areas like spin, where we need to be deliberate about developing new talent.”
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