In an announcement that caught the cricket community by surprise on Tuesday, it was announced that Proteas men’s white-ball head coach, Rob Walter, had prematurely resigned.
Walter had been set to lead the Proteas through to the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. But now Cricket South Africa will need to find a suitable successor, and it will be a hugely important appointment to get right.
Under the leadership of Walter, the Proteas reached their first-ever ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final in 2024, where they finished as runners up to India in a match that they looked certain to win until an agonising slip up in the dying stages.
His tenure also saw the 50-over side reach the semi-finals of the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India and the final four of the ICC Champions Trophy this year, which also ultimately ended in disappointment.
However, in bilateral series, the Proteas endured inconsistent form, although the unavailability of key players due to T20 league obligations was undoubtedly an element of frustration for the coach.
CSA cited personal reasons for Walter stepping down, and part of this is believed to be as a result of the travel demands of travelling to and from New Zealand, here he lives.
Which coach could step into the Proteas hot seat next?
The successor to Walter is now going to be a critical appointment as the Proteas hope to finally break their ICC trophy drought in the 2027 World Cup, which will be played extensively on home soil.
There is no obvious successor, but locally, a strong contender will be former Proteas spinner Robin Peterson – who led MI Cape Town to the SA20 title earlier this year – and who has gained experience and popularity as a coach in recent years.
A case could be made for Test coach Shuki Conrad to take on the limited-overs job, especially considering how little red-ball cricket will be played over the next 18 months, but it’s debatable whether this is really an appointment that would shake things up in an exciting direction.
Interestingly, former cricket star Kevin Pietersen has suggested that ex-England batsman Jonathan Trott should be snapped up by the Proteas.
“Cricket South Africa should hire Jonathan Trott immediately as their white ball coach,” Pietersen stated on X on Wednesday.
Trott has enjoyed real success with Afghanistan, and will serve as head coach until the end of 2025, but perhaps he could be seen as the perfect man to then bring a fresh energy to the Proteas set up.
Another popular choice could be Lance Klusener, the former Proteas star, who has taken on a variety of different coaching roles since leaving the Durban-based Dolphins after a lengthy stint from 2012 until 2016.
Ultimately, it’s a decision that will have far-reaching consequences, and which CSA need to get spot on.
Who do you think CSA should appoint next?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
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