Conrad's uncomfortable honesty is the only cure for the Proteas' knockout curse

Who the hell is Cole McConchie?

- ZAAHIER ADAMS

This was the message that was blowing up my Whatsapp for the first 30 minutes of the Eden Gardens semi-final.

To be brutally honest, I did not know much more than his recent heroics with the bat against Sri Lanka in the Super Eights clash.

After a frantic internet search, I discovered that McConchie was a 34-year-old off-spinner that has never played any international cricket outside of the subcontinent despite having debuted back in 2021 already.

Also that he wandered around playing second division English County Championship cricket for Hampshire and Durham 2nds, and oddly enough ran a commercial cleaning company with his father, Brent, before setting up a gym along with his wife, Sarah, and former Proteas fitness trainer Greg King.

But here he was, bowling the second over of a T20 World Cup semi-final at the colossal Eden Gardens, and dismissing the cream of the Proteas’ top-order in Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton with successive deliveries.

And then like an angel in the night, disappeared to the boundary, and was not seen again at the bowling crease.