Allan Donald has resigned as the bowling coach of the South African cricket team.
Donald confirmed his decision to step down from the team management in a press statement on Tuesday.
The 48 year-old says it is ‘the right time to move on’ and thanked the players, coaches and Cricket South Africa for their support over the years.
‘I have had some time to reflect after the World Cup and have come to the conclusion that the time is right to move on,’ he said.
‘It was always a big dream of mine to work in the South African cricket environment after my playing days and I was incredibly honoured to be given the opportunity. The last four years have been the best of my life and being involved with the Proteas in the 2015 Cricket World Cup was a goal I had set my sights on.
‘I was blessed to have worked with the best bowling attack in the world over a four year period and leave with fond memories and experiences, particularly getting to the top of the ICC Test rankings. I have a lot of respect for the environment and culture that the players have created and I have no doubt that it will continue to grow under the leadership of Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis.
‘Lastly, I’d like to thank my family for their unconditional support throughout the hustle and bustle of international sport. All the best to Russell and the rest of the team. May the Proteas go from strength to strength and I will be following their journey with great interest.’
Cricket South Africa (CSA) Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat, thanked and paid tribute to Donald for his valuable guidance and contributions made to the national players over the past four years.
Allan was and always will be a stalwart in South Africa having served his country with distinction both on and off the field,’ commented Lorgat.
‘He brought great knowledge and international experience to the Proteas set up and we wish him well in his future endeavours.’
‘It’s never easy to lose a legend from your ranks but we respect Allan’s decision in the knowledge that we will seek his involvement in our cricket programmes in the future,’ added Lorgat.
Donald was appointed in June 2011 as part of Gary Kirsten’s management team and continued in the role under Russell Domingo from August 2013.
Proteas head coach, Domingo, thanked Donald for his contributions in the Proteas’ environment.
‘It has been a pleasure to work with Allan,’ Domingo said. ‘He is a professional with great insight and knowledge of the game and his expertise has added good value to our bowling department. One could never fault his commitment and dedication towards the team and that is shown by the respect he has earned from the players and coaches.
‘He leaves behind a healthy bowling setup buoyed by some of the best bowlers in the world and he can be proud of the fruits of his labour over the last few years. I’m thankful for his contribution and support of me and I wish him well in the future.’
Cricket South Africa will consider a replacement in due course. The next assignment for the Proteas is the tour to Bangladesh (2 Test matches, 3 ODIs and 2 T20s) in July.
