Johannesburg - With a shrug of the shoulders and a wry smile Russell Domingo said he would take his time to decide whether he’ll apply for the job of Proteas head coach.
If there was any lingering anger towards his paymasters at Cricket South Africa about their “recruitment process” to fill the position he currently holds, Domingo hid it beneath a relaxed veneer when he spoke publicly about the subject for the first time on Friday night. “It is what it is, it’s out of my control. There’s nothing I can do about it,” he shrugged.
Cricket SA’s Board of Directors announced a fortnight ago that they were starting a “recruitment process” to find a coach for the national side after the England tour, but that Domingo was still free to apply for his position.
“I need to weigh up where I am in my life, where I am with my family, where I am in my career and then make a call closer to the time. At this time I’m not able to commit or not commit. I need to see what happens,” said Domingo, who has been the Proteas’ coach since August 2013. Last October his contract – which was due to end in April this year – was extended to the end of August, to coincide with the conclusion of the national side’s tour of the UK.
AB de Villiers said upon hearing the news two weeks ago that it was “a bitter pill for the players to swallow”, as Domingo was like a member of the family. Outwardly at least, the players’ morale doesn’t seem to have been affected as they’ve continued to play well, and dominated Sri Lanka in the ODI series, earning the No 1 ranking in the ODI format following a 5-0 clean-sweep of the sub-continent team.
“I don’t think I need (the ‘recruitment process’) as any form of motivation,” said Domingo.
“It’s not about me, it’s about the team. It’s not about me being motivated, it’s about the players being motivated. I’m not the main player here, the guys on the field deserve the accolades and rewards, they put in the hours and the hard work and put in the performances. It’s by no means more or less motivating for me, it’s about me ensuring I get the players in the best place to perform at their best at all times.”
As for the timing of CSA’s announcement – it came in the middle of the opening ODI against Sri Lanka in Port Elizabeth – Domingo was non-plussed. “There is never a good time, I suppose.”
Russell Domingo’s current contract as Proteas coach is until the end of August this year. Photo: Muzi Ntombela, BackpagePix
“But the board’s got processes that they need to follow, they need to do what they feel is in the best interests of the national cricket team, whatever that might be. They’ve got to make those decisions, like I’ve got to make decisions regarding selections, strategy, tactics where I’ve got to do what I think is in the best interests of the team,” he said.
“I don’t always have to agree with it or love it or disagree with it.”