‘Consistency Comes With Time’: Brevis Reveals Why Shukri Conrad Won’t Let Him Change His Instincts 

Dewald Brevis believes the key to becoming a more consistent cricketer is not to change who he is as a player, but to trust his natural game and allow experience to shape him.

The young South African batter says conversations with coach Shukri Conrad have reinforced the importance of remaining true to his instincts, particularly as he looks to establish himself more firmly in the national side.

“It’s always nice with Coach Shuks. He always backs me and wants me to play the way I play,” Brevis said, referring to his natural aggressive approach. “I always feel he’s backing me in that way.”

For Brevis, consistency is something that develops through experience rather than by fundamentally altering his approach.

“Consistency does come with time,” Brevis added.

“When you actually find that out and you just keep playing the way you play, that’s how you find consistency, not by changing the way you play.”

The 23-year-old admits that earlier in his career he sometimes tried to adjust his natural approach in search of greater consistency. With more experience, however, he has come to understand that confidence comes from backing his own method.

“That’s what I’ve learned because I actually tried to change a bit in my younger days, although I am still a bit young,” Brevis said.

He believes that continuing to play his natural game will eventually bring greater comfort and a deeper understanding of the different phases of a match.

“It’s about playing your way, backing it fully, and then with time you can certainly feel that you are more comfortable out there. You understand the flow of the game more, and it’s a nice place to be when you feel like that.”

That philosophy extends beyond technique. For Brevis, enjoying the game and remaining authentic are central to the environment South Africa are trying to create.

“It’s just to always be true to yourself and to have fun,” he said. “And in this environment, I think with the coaches and everyone, that’s what we aim for. For everyone to be unique in their ways.”

Brevis is also clear about where he believes he can make his biggest contribution with the bat, and he wants responsibility in the middle order.

Asked about his preferred position, he pointed to No. 3 or No. 4—positions he sees as particularly influential across formats.

“Yeah, I love batting, especially in positions three and four. I think that’s where I really want to be the best for the team and for myself.”

For Brevis, batting in the top and middle order presents different challenges depending on the state of the game. In T20 cricket, the powerplay can offer opportunities with fielding restrictions, while batting later requires greater skill against a spread field.

“That is a really important position in T20 and ODI cricket. In Test cricket, I think that is a special position,” he said.

“In the powerplay, all the fielders are in. A greater challenge is batting in the middle when the field is spread, and I really want to just get better in those positions and in those moments.”

It is a revealing insight into Brevis’ ambitions. Rather than simply wanting more time at the crease, he wants to develop into a batter capable of influencing games when the pressure and tactical demands increase.

Test cricket remains the ultimate goal, however. Despite his growing experience across the shorter formats, Brevis retains a strong attachment to the longest format.

While he enjoys all three formats, there is something about Test cricket that particularly appeals to him.

“Test cricket is the pinnacle and my favourite format,” Brevis said.

“Well, I love all formats, but Test cricket is really a very special format.”

For Brevis, the challenge now is to turn his considerable talent into sustained performances at international level. With the backing of his coaches and a growing understanding of his own game, he appears determined to find consistency without sacrificing the attacking instincts that have made him one of South Africa’s most exciting young batters.