Why rock Proteas’ boat?

SOUTH African cricket has had its share of ups and downs, but there have been more ups than downs in recent years thanks to the talent at the Proteas’ disposal and the team’s canny coach.

The sheer brilliance of batsmen such as AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla; the bowling genius of Dale Steyn; the re-emergence of spin wizards such as Imran Tahir and the relatively new kid on the block Kagiso Rabada with his growing reputation as one of the best fast bowlers in the world, has given the team much success in recent times.

The guiding hand behind their resurgence is of course coach Russell Domingo, who bases his approach on motivating and inspiring a player core.

The results are there to see. He is riding a wave of success with the Proteas having had a great run of wins – 15 out 18 matches – since August last year.

So one would expect that Cricket SA would have no reason not to extend his contract. But that’s not the case. In a press release, CSA stated it had “resolved to begin a recruitment process” to appoint a head coach “through to the 2019 World Cup”.

This means Domingo must reapply for his position for the sake of “good corporate governance”, as a CSA official put it this week.

This has predictably provoked a flood of speculation about Domingo’s future with the team.

And it has happened as the team prepared to face Sri Lanka in the third ODI in a five-match series at the Wanderers today.

With two wins already under their belt, victory will ensure the Proteas have the series in the bag. But unnecessary uncertainty over the future coach could unsettle the team.

In an interview this week, Amla said the players were focused and under Domingo had a good culture. The news that the coach must reapply for his job “has not been a distraction at all”.

Domingo’s present contract still runs for eight months. But if the players want their mentor to remain in charge, they will be under pressure not to falter and hand CSA a reason to let Domingo go.

This is hardly necessary, particularly in the face of a busy schedule. There is the upcoming series against New Zealand and the Champions Trophy in England takes place in June. And they must prepare for the World Cup in two years time. Success there is the ultimate goal of a team that has failed too often at the world showpiece. Stability is what is needed most. Today the team goes onto the field in pink kit to draw attention to the fight against cancer. It is a great gesture, one that is applauded by everyone. Domingo must want his team to do well. It is unfortunate that in the background there is unsettling talk about the coach’s days being numbered.