PORT ELIZABETH – Rivash Gobind on Friday stepped down as Warriors coach, in order to take up an international-level opportunity.
Gobind is to become part of the Afghanistan national cricket team’s management and coaching structure.
He will be leaving the Warriors before the end of October.
Gobind captained both KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa Under-19s, and is a certified level 3 coach. He was appointed assistant coach of the Warriors in August 2016, and coach from start of the 2017 season.
“I hope I have left them in a better space than when I started,” said Gobind, “There is no reason why the success of this team won’t continue.
“This is obviously an international cricket opportunity I can’t really turn down. It is bittersweet, because I do feel that we were really achieving something here with Warriors cricket, and it is going to be tough to walk away from it. I am very appreciative of all the support from the Warriors players and administration over the years.
“I will miss the Eastern Cape. It’s a lovely part of the country and what I have really enjoyed is the warmth people have shown me here. They don’t call Port Elizabeth the ‘friendly city’ for nothing.”
Cricket Eastern Cape chief executive Mark Williams said: “Rivash is an exceptional person and a brilliant coach. It is a loss for us as cricket in the Eastern Cape, but this is an exciting opportunity for Rivash. We wish him well on this new journey.
“I also want to thank him and commend him for what he has done for the Warriors”.
Warriors captain Jon-Jon Smuts said: “What Rivash has done with the team over the last few years has been unbelievable, but we are all extremely proud and happy for him. To get international recognition is amazing.
“It’s a massive tribute to the Warriors franchise that we are getting people recognised at the highest level. We really wish him all the best”.
Williams says the process for recruiting a new coach had already begun.