‘There’s another ‘C’ word…’ – SA head coach Shukri Conrad fires back at controversial ‘Cupcake’ advertisement

South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad has made it clear that his side is unfazed by the pressure of being labelled favourites at the T20 World Cup 2026, while also taking a cheeky dig at the infamous ‘choker’ tag as well as recent advertisements put out by the official broadcaster of the twenty-team tournament. Notably, the ad caught controversy and had to be taken down shortly after fans expressed their anger. 

The Proteas extended their unbeaten run to seven matches with a five-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in their final Super Eights clash in Delhi. Speaking after the win at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Conrad addressed the long-standing narrative surrounding their performances in ICC tournaments, especially during the knockout stages, where they haven’t won a single white-ball multinational event.

“There’s always pressure, it’s about what you do with that pressure and how you shift that pressure. As for the ‘C’ word (choker), there’s another one called ‘cupcakes’ that we have to throw in, don’t want to forget that,” Conrad said during the press conference, as quoted by The Indian Express.

For the unversed, the video advertisement depicted a South African fan choking on a cupcake before being handed water, a clear nod to the Proteas’ ‘choker’ reputation after they were edged out by the Men in Blue in the previous edition’s final. However, multiple public backlashes and poor use of creativity led to the promo being taken down.

South Africa responded emphatically on the field, thrashing India by 76 runs in Ahmedabad, a statement win that further underlined their dominance this campaign. Despite being the only unbeaten team in the tournament and entering the semifinal against New Zealand in Kolkata as favourites, Conrad insisted that nothing would change in their approach towards the preparation.

“I don’t think it (pressure) will change anything. For us, it will be business as usual. We will start as favourites against New Zealand probably because we’re the only unbeaten side in the tournament. But I don’t know if that adds to the pressure. Playing the semifinal is pressure enough. Playing a top side is enough pressure,” he concluded.

With seven wins on the trot and growing belief within the squad, South Africa appear determined to get their hands on the trophy, which slipped away from them in 2024.