South Africa’s cricket coach Shukri Conrad has spoken about the criticism he received after using the word “grovel” during the second Test match against India. He explained that his intention was never to offend anyone or appear disrespectful. He also admitted that the word was not a good choice and caused misunderstanding.

Conrad made the comment after his team had set India a very large target of 549 runs in the Test match in Guwahati. At the time, he said he wanted India to spend a long time in the field and be under pressure. However, the word he used has a sensitive and controversial history in cricket, which made many people react strongly, including former South African bowler Dale Steyn.

The term “grovel” is remembered from a famous and offensive remark made by Tony Greig in 1976, when he said he wanted the West Indies to “grovel.” Because of this history, Conrad’s comment quickly caused discomfort and criticism in the cricket world.

Speaking to the media for the first time since the incident, Conrad said that he regretted using that word. He explained that he only meant to say his team wanted to make things difficult for India on the field by forcing them to play longer and under tougher conditions. He added that he will be more careful with the words he chooses in the future to avoid other people attaching negative meaning to them.

Conrad made these comments after South Africa lost to India in the third One Day International match in Visakhapatnam. He maintained that there was no bad intention behind his statement, but accepted responsibility for how it was received.