Proteas cannot afford to stand still

South Africa's historic series victory over Australia has provided Shukri Conrad with plenty to celebrate, but the Proteas cricket coach is already looking towards the challenge of remaining among the world's leading Test teams as they prepare to welcome Bangladesh later this month.

The 2-1 triumph, sealed at Newlands last Saturday, was built on contributions from across the squad, with the performances of the middle-order and lower-order batters particularly encouraging after SA found themselves under pressure in the deciding Test.

Conrad believes that greater depth in the batting line-up could prove important as the Proteas look to sustain their success, particularly with the responsibility no longer resting so heavily on their established senior players.

The contributions of Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder, who both scored centuries in the second innings at Newlands, provided exactly the sort of reassurance the coach wanted to see.

"The two knocks on Saturday will give us a lot of confidence and belief going into the rest of the summer," Conrad said.

"We're not overly reliant on the two senior guys at the top, and then the lower-order to provide us with much-needed runs."

It is a development that could strengthen South Africa considerably, particularly as they continue to experiment with combinations and find the right balance between established performers and players capable of making an impact in different roles.

Conrad pointed to the adaptability of Marques Ackerman as an example of what he wants from his players, praising the way he has settled into the international environment without losing the qualities that made him successful

"That was vintage Marques. He's a character that I don't want to stymie in any way. I certainly don't want to curb his way of playing cricket," he said.

For Conrad, however, the Australian series cannot become a reason for the Proteas to become complacent.

Having won the World Test Championship and now beaten the Aussies in a home series, SA have strengthened their position at the summit of the game.

"I don't think you ever want to walk around saying you're the best," he said."It was always about how we are going to get to the top and remain at the top for an extended period of time."

Conrad acknowledged that there were still aspects of SA's cricket that needed attention, despite the magnitude of the achievement.

"I still feel that there were areas in the series that were really, really soft and we need to get better at that," he said.

The immediate opportunity to build on their progress comes against Bangladesh, who will arrive in on SA shores with a bowling attack Conrad believes can be particularly effective on local surfaces.

He is also mindful that the Tigers have previously demonstrated their ability to trouble stronger opponents, meaning the Proteas cannot approach the next assignment with anything less than full commitment.

"It's critical for us that we take the good from here, look after where we can get better, and make sure we hit the ground running against Bangladesh in a few weeks' time."

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