‘Zulu’ backs call for a rethink on coaching roles
● Former Proteas all-rounder Lance “Zulu” Klusener has become the latest high-profile personality to suggest to Cricket SA (CSA) that it must consider splitting coaches between Test and limited-overs formats.
Outgoing Mark Boucher coaches all the formats but Klusener, a tried-and-tested campaigner with 49 Tests and 171 ODIs to his name, said the time for change had arrived.
Dean Elgar is Test captain while Temba Bavuma leads the team in ODIs and T20s and players have responded positively to the changes as they took over after a long spell in which Faf du Plessis captained the team in all formats.
England recently went this route with Matthew Mott appointed ODI coach and Brendon McCullum taking charge of the Test side. The New Zealander transformed the team into playing an abrasive and highoctane style of five-day cricket named “Bazball”.
“Zulu”, who is the coach of the Durban Super Giants in the forthcoming SA20 competition and works as a batting consultant in T20 leagues across the world, said he may be interested in the Proteas coaching job if the roles were split into two.
“Probably not in the current configuration; it might need to be split,” Klusener said this week when asked if he would take the Proteas job.
“I think maybe it is time to see white and red ball coaching roles split, that may be an option for SA. I haven’t thought too much about it (being coach of the Proteas), I am enjoying my time in Zimbabwe and doing T20 leagues around the world.”
CSA have embarked on the process to find a replacement for outgoing Boucher, who vacates his position after the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia next month.
CSA director of cricket Enock Nkwe is confronted with the dicey task of whether to split the coaching roles and make a permanent appointment for the team’s Test tour Down Under at the end of the year.
Gary Kirsten, Klusener, Geoffrey Toyana, Ashwell Prince, Robin Peterson, Imraan Khan, Wandile Gwavu, Malibongwe Maketa and Mandla Mashimbyi are local names that have been touted as possible replacements for Boucher.
“I have been coaching in T20 leagues for a long time and definitely my interest is white ball cricket — but I haven’t really thought about it too much,” Klusener said.
Klusener added that inasmuch as players get tired by the sometimes punishing schedules, it is the same for coaches — hence his advocating for two coaches.
“Having two coaches is something worth looking at, definitely, other teams are doing it about the world and they are doing it for a reason. We see fatigue in players and you get fatigue in coaching staff as well.
“That might be something that CSA could look at. It might be a fresh option for the players as well.”