PORT ELIZABETH – Proteas captain AB de Villiers says “it is a bitter pill to swallow” and “there will certainly be a few sad hours in the changing room” after hearing midway through their victory over Sri Lanka that their coach Russell Domingo needs to re-apply for his job.
Cricket SA announced on Saturday afternoon that, after the conclusion of an earlier executive board meeting at St George’s Park, it agreed “to commence the recruitment process for the appointment of the Proteas head coach to take charge after the tour to the UK until after the 2019 edition of the ICC World Cup”.
Meanwhile on the field, the Proteas cantered to a comprehensive eight-wicket win with more than 15 overs to spare.
Domingo has been South Africa’s head coach since August 2013 and last October had his contract – which was due to end in April this year – extended to the end of August to coincide with the national side’s tour of the UK.
“It is a tough one for the team and I’m speaking on behalf of the guys. It is a bitter pill to swallow. It’s really difficult for us to take in, and there will certainly be a few sad hours in the changing room now afterwards,” De Villiers said after the Proteas had taken a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
“But at the end of the day, it’s out of our hands completely, it’s a board decision and we’ve got to respect that. So, all I can say is that we have come a long way with Russell… he’s like family to us.
“We will be there to try and support him through this tough time, and the way I know him, he’ll just come out with that smile on his face as always.”
Independent Media understands that Cricket SA had informed Domingo on Saturday that they would be undertaking a process to appoint a coach after the England tour. He gave them no indication as to whether he would be applying.
Domingo has been a central part of a revival in the fortunes of the Proteas in the last six months, starting with a Test series win against New Zealand last August, continuing through a 5-0 whitewash in an ODI series against world champions Australia and highlighted by a third consecutive Test series win for South Africa Down Under in November.
That triumph was particularly noteworthy given the absence of some key senior players, including Dale Steyn, Morné Morkel and De Villiers. The Proteas have subsequently also beaten Sri Lanka 3-0 in a Test series on home soil.
Domingo faced heated criticism last summer following Test series losses to India and England, which came in the middle of a run that saw South Africa win just one out of 11 Tests.
There was also a shambolic campaign in the World T20 competition and then a disjointed showing in a triangular one-day series in the Caribbean last June.
Following the series win against Sri Lanka, Domingo said a coach’s position was never secure. “I could go tomorrow. I don’t look too far ahead in my coaching career. You never know what’s around the corner in coaching.
“The support I get from the players is what’s the most important thing. If you have the support of the players, that’s all that matters. I’ve always felt I’ve had that. It’s out of my control, what happens, happens,” he said.
Listening to De Villiers’ emotional comments, it certainly stands to reason that the Proteas mentor has not only the support of his ODI captain, but the entire dressing room.
In other details to emerge from the board meeting, the organisation said it would retain the current six franchises for all domestic competitions.
Cricket SA said two weeks ago that, following a review of domestic cricket structures, it would look at establishing a seventh franchise. That, for now at least, is off the books.
Among other areas the Board said it wants to see improvement is local coaching, a better understanding about the importance of transformation among all stakeholders, increasing and improving opportunities to play the game and “consolidating the national high performance programme”.