CAPE TOWN: South Africa will radically overhaul their entire management team, including saying goodbye to head coach Ottis Gibson, as they instead move to a football-style new structure.

West Indian Gibson will not have his contract renewed after a disappointing World Cup in England, where the Proteas won only three of their nine matches and were never in the hunt for the semi-finals as they finished seventh in the 10-team competition.

“Members of [the current] team management, including the various assistant cricket coaches, will not be retained as part of the forthcoming plan,” Cricket South Africa (CSA) said in a media release on Sunday.

CSA will instead appoint a team manager, who will select his own coaching staff and captains in the three formats of the game.

The medical staff and administrative staff will also report to him.

The team manager will report to CSA Acting Director of Cricket, Corrie van Zyl, who will in turn report to the Chief Executive.

The structure will be similar to that at top European football clubs where a technical director takes charge of the coaching staff, players and medical and administrative personnel.

While CSA advertise the positions of Director of Cricket, team manager and convener of selectors, Van Zyl will appoint an interim management team, selection panel and captain for the three-Test tour of India in September and October as part of in the new World Test Championship.

“This change will herald an exciting new era for the SA cricket and will bring us into line with best practice in professional sport,” CSA Chief Executive Thabang Moroe said.

“I must stress that the new structure was not a rash decision. It was taken after much deliberation by the Board, taking all the factors into consideration about the current state of our cricket and also the plan that we need to get to within the timelines we have set.

“I would like to thank Ottis Gibson, other members of the team’s current senior management, and our long-serving team manager, Dr [Mohammed] Moosajee, for their national service to South African cricket.”

Faf du Plessis, the current captain, was on Saturday night named South African Cricketer of the Year and it would be a surprise if he was replaced.

Former West Indian player Gibson was appointed South African team coach in 2017. His contract was due to expire next month.

Gibson said during the recent Cricket World Cup that he was keen to continue in the job but his prospects plummeted when South Africa were among the first teams to be eliminated from contention for a last-four place.

Van Zyl, 57, played in one unofficial Test during South Africa’s years of isolation and in two One-day Internationals in 1992 following the country’s return to official international cricket. He had a brief spell as South African coach between 2009 and 2011.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2019