Proteas' past meets present: Walter and Conrad lock horns in T20 World Cup semi showdown

The last time Rob Walter was at Eden Gardens for a World Cup semi-final, he was in the green of the Proteas. But now, 50-year-old Walter is back at the spiritual home of Indian cricket in Kolkata, wearing a black tracksuit with a silver fern on his chest.

He will be attempting to lead New Zealand to the T20 World Cup final against the very team he suffered heartbreak with in the showpiece just two years ago at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

Walter will also be coming up against Shukri Conrad, with whom he previously plotted and planned as co-coaches of the Proteas, in their roles as white-ball and red-ball coaches, respectively.

The pair share a mutual respect for each other’s capabilities, but they are two entirely different individuals with contrasting approaches to the game in every respect. Walter alluded to this fact when he handed in his shock resignation back in April last year, after ironically losing to the Black Caps in the ICC Champions Trophy semifinals in Lahore.

“It becomes complicated when there are two different voices at the head coach level,” Walter told an Afrikaans Sunday publication, at the time.

“Shuks [Conrad] and I spoke regularly, and there were no issues … we got on well, but there were two head coaches. It is better with one head coach.”

Walter’s record in major ICC tournaments with the Proteas ranks among the finest of all coaches in the history of the national team. During his two-year tenure, the former Titans head coach led the Proteas to an ODI World Cup semi-final (2023, Kolkata) and an ICC Champions Trophy semifinal (Lahore, 2025).

He was also the first coach to mastermind a semi-final victory when his team defeated Afghanistan (Trinidad, 2024) to reach a maiden T20 World Cup final in Barbados.

Crucially, he wasn’t able to get the Proteas to break the tape at the finishing line—a feat Conrad managed when he masterminded the World Test Championship Final success at Lord’s last year.

When asked what the difference would be now that the Proteas are enjoying an unbeaten run leading into the knockout stages—similar to what Walter’s team achieved in the US and the Caribbean a couple of years ago—Conrad was quick to reply.

“One big difference: I wasn't there,” Conrad chirped.

Conrad, however, paid tribute to the foundation that Walter laid before him, as he believes it has benefitted the Proteas immensely.

“On a serious note, I think obviously the guys are richer for that experience,” he said.

“They have learned so much about themselves. I think our experience in the last T20 World Cup will stand us in good stead. And again, when you keep making semifinals and finals — and I've said this many times previously — if you continually make semifinals and finals, eventually you're going to win one. If you don't make it, you can't win anything.”

The pair have come up against each other frequently since Conrad succeeded Walter to become the all-format coach of the Proteas, and the former fitness trainer assumed the role at the Black Caps.

The Black Caps won all three T20 encounters during a tri-series (which included hosts Zimbabwe) last July. Crucially, however, it was the Proteas that comfortably dispatched the Kiwis by seven wickets in their group match here at this T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Walter believes, though, that the semifinal will be an entirely different contest due to the Proteas being forced to move from their Ahmedabad “home ground”—Conrad’s team have played five of their seven T20 World Cup matches in Gujarat state—as the Black Caps will be quicker to adapt to the conditions at Eden Gardens.

New Zealand have travelled extensively during the tournament, having played two matches in Ahmedabad, two in Chennai, and all three of their Super Eights clashes in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

“We faced them in Ahmedabad, which I think is a venue that they've grown pretty used to, given that they spent a fair bit of time there,” Walter said. “The semifinal will be in a different venue, which will provide a different challenge, and I think that really suits us because it gives us an opportunity to adapt to those conditions pretty quickly, which is something we've done well, and do, do well.

“Whilst they've been playing very good cricket, obviously we believe that we can beat them. I think the change of conditions and venues works in our favour. It just takes one bad day for a team that's been playing well, so we need to be ready and play our best cricket. Then, of course, we've got a great chance of winning the game.”

The Proteas and New Zealand face-off at 3.30pm on Wednesday for a place in Sunday's coveted final.