United Cricket Board chief executive Gerald Majola confirmed on Thursday what has been an open secret for several days — that Warriors coach Mickey Arthur has been appointed coach of the South African national team until after the World Cup in the West Indies in 2007.
Majola said the six-man panel appointed to decide on the new coach was unanimous in its recommendation of Arthur as coach.
”He is a highly qualified and successful coach, with outstanding leadership and personal management skills,” said Majola. ”These assets will certainly come into play to meet the immediate challenges of the 2005/06 season.”
Majola stressed that former coach Ray Jennings was not fired.
”Ray was appointed in a short-term capacity. He knew that when he accepted the position, and he also knew that there were no guarantees that he would keep his position.
”We did take the results he had achieved into account in considering the appointment of the new coach. He was given the same consideration as the other six who were on the shortlist,” said Majola.
Jennings will join national coaching manager Anton Ferreira and high-performance centre manager Gary Kirsten in the elite programme to prepare players who have the potential to form part of the South African squad for the 2007 World Cup.
Majola said Arthur’s appointment has been discussed with the senior players, who endorsed the process by which he has been appointed.
Arthur (37) said he feels honoured and privileged to become coach of the national team.
”I know most of the players — I have played with and against some of them — and I have good relations with them, and also with the administrative staff.”
He said that before the start of the 2005/06 season, he needs to spend some time with the players, and especially with the captain, Graeme Smith.
”We need to buy into a common vision of where we want to go, and how we are going to get there,” said Arthur.
He dismissed suggestions that he is too young for the job.
”I’ve been involved in the game for 19 years, and I’ve studied all aspects of it,” he said. ”I’ve gone through the ranks, from junior level up to the A side and the national cricket academy. I don’t think I’m too young for the job.”
Arthur appeared undaunted by the knowledge that he faces cricket’s biggest challenge — Australia — in just six months’ time.
”I think it’s possibly the right time to play Australia,” he said. ”The team is playing very well at the moment. Our aim is to be number one in the world in both forms of the game, and once we’ve played Australia, we’ll have a better idea of what we need to do to get there.”
Smith said he and the team are satisfied with the process by which Arthur has been appointed. He said he had a brief stint with Arthur in the South African A side, and was impressed by his coaching style and his work ethic.
”He gets the best out of his players, and he’s definitely not a soft touch,” said Smith.
Smith said he does not think the appointment of Arthur as coach will cause an upheaval within the team.
”When I appealed for stability [after the first Test against England in Port Elizabeth in December], I was talking more about the need for stability within the team. We always knew that Jet [Jennings] might not stay.
”But we’ve had more stability in the team, and the result is that more players have responded well.”
Arthur has a challenging season ahead. Majola confirmed that a five-match one-day series against India in India is being discussed.
New Zealand will tour South Africa in October. South Africa will tour Australia in December and January, with a return visit by Australia immediately afterwards. — Sapa