Rob Walter, South Africa white-ball coach, resigns under pressure

Rob Walter has resigned as the white-ball coach of the South African cricket team. Although he was contracted to provide his services till the 2027 World Cup, Walter has called it a day.

Personal Reasons

The CSA (Cricket South Africa) has cited personal reasons for Walter’s exit as the coach. However, ESPNcricinfo reports that there might be other reasons behind the decision.

Impressive performance in ICC events

Contracted in 2023, Walter’s tenure was to end in 2027. Under Rob Walter’s leadership, South Africa achieved historic milestones in white-ball cricket, reaching their first-ever men’s World Cup final at the 2024 T20 World Cup, as well as making the semi-finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup and the recent ICC Champions Trophy.

Inconsistency in bilateral series

However, their performance in bilateral series has been inconsistent. During Walter’s tenure, South Africa played seven ODI series and lost three of them. It included a first-ever whitewash to Pakistan at home. In T20Is, they won just one out of eight series.
In his defence, Walter often pointed out that he rarely had a full-strength squad for bilateral matches, as key players were rested, allowed to participate in franchise leagues, or prioritized for other formats. However, these explanations were often overshadowed by the disappointing results.

Split coaching

Since 2023, South Africa has used a split coaching system, with Shukri Conrad handling the Test team and Walter overseeing the white-ball sides. Conrad has led the Test team to the World Test Championship final. South Africa will be playing the final against Australia in June this year. It will be held in England. If Cricket South Africa decides to merge the coaching roles, Conrad could take charge of the limited-overs teams as well.
The ODI and T20I squads will be in action against Zimbabwe in July, followed by tours to Australia and England, and a five-match home T20I series against West Indies as part of preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

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