The Proteas, who have blown hot and cold in recent seasons,
will start a new chapter under West Indian coach Ottis Gibson when they face
Bangladesh in the first Test match of the Asian minnows’ month-long tour in
Potchefstroom on Thursday.
Barbados-born Gibson came into the picture after South
Africa’s cricket bosses opted not to renew the contract of former Proteas
head-man Russell Domingo.
The 48-year-old is the 10th coach of the national team since
South Africa was re-admitted to the international cricket fold in 1991 during
the demise of Apartheid.
Gibson’s new charges will encounter the reputation-building
Tigers of Bangladesh in two Tests, three one-day internationals and two
Twenty20 internationals.
They will also face Zimbabwe and India later in the year, by
which time Gibson should have a new coaching set-up well settled.
He decided to go with the old staff for the start of Bangladesh’s tour and pick new faces later.
Along with Gibson’s debut, the South Africans will have a
new opening pair in Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram at Senwes Park in
Potchefstroom on Thursday.
Moreover, the match will take in the ICC’s new rule changes
which include the introduction of player sendoffs for serious misconduct, a
restriction on the dimensions of the bat and alterations to the Decision Review
System (DRS).
Gibson’s predecessor Domingo conceded to the media recently
that, all things considered, it was a relief to come off the Proteas coaching
hot-seat, before he got seconded by Cricket SA (CSA) to the South Africa ‘A’
team.
“Coaching the national team is definitely a high-pressure
job and definitely I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders‚” said
Domingo, who lost his mother during the Proteas’ recent tour of England where
they also failed to make an impression in the ICC Champions Trophy. “I have
loved my time being the national team coach for four years, but to be honest it
wears you down.
“It is nice to get away from that type of pressure and
re-invent myself as a coach.”
Domingo had taken over from Gary Kirsten as Proteas coach in
August 2013 and lasted exactly four years in the job.
Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim commented to the media
recently that his team were intent on improving their international standing.
He said they wanted to build on their form in home matches,
which included Test wins over England and Australia in the past year.
“Bangladesh has been playing really well in the last couple
of years,” he said.
“The first target is to keep that intensity going. When we
are playing at home we are really confident. It’s not going to be easy, but
this is our next step. We want to do well in Africa, as well. It is a great
opportunity for us.”
He acknowledged that coping with South Africa’s fast bowlers
in local conditions would be crucial in determining the outcome of matches.
Tomorrow’s match will be covered on SuperSport 2 from 9 am.
The second, and final, Test will be played from October 6 in
Bloemfontein.
The three ODIs begin on October 15 and the two Twenty20
internationals start on October 26.
Interestingly, Senwes Park is the venue for the first and
last matches of this tour that sees Gibson hoping to win over South African
hearts.
