JOHANNESBURG – Russell Domingo has yet to decide if he’ll apply for the Proteas coaching position when his contract ends after the team’s tour to England in August.
Cricket South Africa’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.
Speaking publicly for the first time since CSA’s announcement, Domingo said following South Africa’s ODI series clean sweep against Sri Lanka on Friday night that he needed to think about whether he’d apply for the 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 national side’s tour of the UK.
South Africa’s ODI captain AB de Villiers called the news that Domingo would have to apply for his position “a bitter pill to swallow” although outwardly at least, it seems to have had no effect on the team as they dominated Sri Lanka.
“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.”
The whispers from within CSA is that Domingo has to reach at least the final of the Champions Trophy tournament in England later this year to stand any chance of retaining his position as the national team’s head coach.
On Friday Domingo said the players did not receive enough credit for some of their victories during an otherwise difficult period for the national team last season.
While much has been made about the Test series defeats to India and England, the calamitous campaign in the World T20 tournament and then the triangular One-Day series in the Caribbean last June, Domingo said not enough focus was given to how well they played to win One-Day series’s in India and then against England, coming from 0-2 in the latter.
Since then, Domingo has overseen clean-sweeps in two ODI series’ – against Australia and Sri Lanka – Test series wins against New Zealand, Australia away and Sri Lanka.
As for the timing of CSA’s announcement – which came out in the middle of the opening ODI against Sri Lanka in Port Elizabeth, Domingo was nonplussed.
“There is never a good time I suppose. 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,” he said.
“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.”
“I don’t always have to agree with it or love it or disagree with it. It is what it is, it’s out of my control. There’s nothing I can do about it.”
Domingo said all his focus would be on the New Zealand tour which starts with a T20 International in Auckland on Wednesday.
“Once I get back from New Zealand, we’ll see what happens for England and once we’re back from England we’ll see what happens after that. It’s been my mantra, not to look too far ahead and just to take it one series at a time.”
“It’s the life of a coach and the life of a cricket team. If my contract can be up and Jose Mourinho’s contract can be up...I’m only Russell Domingo, there’ve been some big guy coaches whose contracts have expired. It’s part of life, part of the job, it’s just the way it is,” he concluded.