Ray Jennings, who has been coach of the South African ‘A’ cricket team, was on Friday appointed coach of the national team until the end of the tour to the West Indies in May next year.
Jennings was named to the post following encumbent coach Eric Simons and team manager Tim Southey reaching a mutually acceptable agreement with the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB) upon which their contracts will be terminated with immediate effect.
Former manager Goolam Rajah will assume the manager’s duties for the tour to India in November, after which the position will be reviewed by the UCB.
Jennings’ appointment ends weeks of speculation about the position of Simons and Southey, following the team’s recent disappointing performances in New Zealand, Sri Lanka and at the ICC Champions Trophy in England.
With regard to the position of Omar Henry who is the convener of selectors, UCB chief executive officer Gerald Majola said his position was conditional on his submitting a report in which he set out his selection plan through to the World Cup in 2005.
Majola said it had not been an easy decision to implement the changes, but the UCB believed they were necessary. He said he had held talks with all stakeholders and he believed the new structure was in the best interests of South African cricket.
Jennings said he was delighted to take up the challenge of coaching the national team. ”South African cricket has my loyalty and my passion. I want to be involved, and have an impact on the game.”
Jennings said he believed the national players were superb people and superb cricketers. ”It’s a matter of coordinating the whole package,” he said. ”I like to think of it as a jigsaw puzzle where there might be just one piece missing. We need to find that piece and move on from there.
He said he believed South African cricket had allowed the fire and passion to die a little, and it was necessary to get pride and self-confidence back.
”We’ve got to fuel the fire again and keep it alive and well so that we can go from strength to strength.”
Jennings conceded that the tour to India next month could be South Africa’s toughest assignment since readmission to international cricket in 1991. ”But that’s the excitement. I know it’s going to be very difficult, and I know there are high expectations, but the side is a good one, and it’s a matter of going there and having some fun.”
National captain Graeme Smith said he was pleased with the appointment of Jennings as team coach. ”He’s a strong character, and you need a strong character in international cricket. He has also done very well with the teams he has coached. I look forward to sitting down with him and mapping the way forward.” – Sapa