At Bulawayo on July 7, 2025, Wiaan Mulder declared South Africa’s innings closed at 367 not out against Zimbabwe, stepping away from the crease with 33 runs still separating him from Brian Lara’s Test record of 400. The stand-in captain, deputising for the injured Temba Bavuma, had already batted through four sessions and claimed the fifth-highest individual score in Test cricket history at that moment. His unbeaten knock had surpassed Hashim Amla’s previous South African record of 311 not out.
More than 16 months after that match at the Harare Sports Club, Shukri Conrad disclosed the thinking that shaped the decision. The South Africa coach explained that he approached Mulder directly during the lunch interval on Day 2 to discuss what lay ahead. Their conversation centred on a principle that extended well beyond that single innings.
Conrad posed a direct question to Mulder about the burden of carrying the game’s most significant individual record forward. The coach’s assessment was that someone who typically deflects attention would find it difficult to shoulder the weight of the biggest individual record in cricket. He asked Mulder to consider not just that one innings, but every match that would follow. Both men reached the same conclusion.
“So when we walked out at lunch, I walked straight to him and said, ‘Wiaan, what are you going to do?’ And we discussed it, and he said, ‘What do you think?’ Conrad recalled on The Super Over Podcast.
Why did Conrad advise the declaration before Lara’s record?
Conrad clarified that he was not asserting absolute certainty about the decision. He also addressed the suggestion that Zimbabwe’s bowling attack had made the target achievable too easily, though he acknowledged the argument held some merit. He was keen to ensure that Mulder’s achievement would not be diminished by claims about a weaker opponent in the Chevrons. His reasoning ultimately rested on a coaching philosophy rather than a purely cricketing calculation.
“He’s a character of one of the team and not taking the spotlight away from them. And that’s why I suggested to him, ‘I think you should pull out before you get there because I don’t know if you would be able to live with it.'” Conrad said.
.”We both agreed he probably wouldn’t have,” Conrad said, adding that he is not claiming certainty about the call. “I think if he had gone for it, who knows? We will never know if it’s the right or wrong decision. People will say records are meant to be broken,” he added.
How did the match unfold after Mulder’s declaration?
South Africa’s reply saw Zimbabwe dismissed for 170, forcing the follow-on. The visitors reached 1-51 in their second innings by the close of play, still trailing by 405 runs. Mulder’s 367 stood as the highest score ever recorded by a South African in Test cricket. Lara had made his 400 not out at the Antigua Recreation Ground in 2004.
Since that declaration, Mulder continued to feature in South Africa’s Test plans. He scored 115 at Newlands during a series against Australia and added 143 in another appearance, while also taking 3 wickets in a separate match, demonstrating his value as both batter and bowler across multiple situations for the Proteas.
