By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@GalloImages.
South Africa’s white-ball coach, Rob Walters has resigned two years into his four-year contract, citing unspecified personal reasons.
Walter was initially due to take South Africa to the 2027 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
During his tenure, the Proteas made history by reaching their first-ever ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final in 2024, where they finished as runners-up to India in Barbados, following an impressive eight-match winning streak.
He also guided the 50-over team to the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India.
His final assignment was the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where he led the Proteas to another semi-final appearance, this time against New Zealand in Lahore in March.
“Coaching the Proteas has been an incredible honour, and I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together, “said Walter.
“The players, support staff, and the South African cricketing community have been fantastic throughout this journey. While it’s time for me to step away, I have no doubt that the team will continue to grow and reach even greater heights.”
Director of National Teams and High Performance Enoch Nkwe said: “Rob has done an immense job for South African cricket over the past two years.
“It is also important to recognise Rob’s commitment to expanding the talent pool across both formats. While in charge, he ensured that emerging players had the opportunity to develop and make their mark at the highest level, which will be critical for the future of the Proteas.
“We have a busy period of white-ball cricket over the next two years as we build towards the Cricket World Cup on home soil. His successor will continue to work towards that 50-over World Cup campaign, along with next year’s T20 World Cup.”
South Africa play a T20 series against Zimbabwe in July, Australia in three T20s and three one-day internationals in August, before travelling to England for three ODIs and three T20s in September.