Former Langa Cricket Club all-rounder Siya Sibiya has been appointed Central Gauteng Lions (formerly Gauteng Cricket Board) Under-19 and Academy head coach.
Sibiya also played for Primrose Cricket Club and Western Province Cricket Club before leaving Cape Town.
“Gauteng has been leading the way at school level in recent years, so there is obviously a lot of talent here – and great systems in place. My role will be to build on that – and I am very excited about it,” Sibiya told SA Cricket magazine.
“It is important to win, of course, but developing players is the priority. The academy has to deliver players that can fit in with the kind of cricket that Gauteng wants to play – and we have to ensure the players are enjoying the experience, so they carry on playing the game and are not tempted to leave the province.”
The Gauteng Strikers won the 2018 Africa T20 Cup earlier this week, after beating Border in a tight final at Buffalo Park in East London. The title-winning campaign epitomised the wealth of talent on offer at semi-professional level across Gauteng.
“There is a lot of talent on display here – and not all of these boys are going to make provincial teams. Communicating with those players, and their parents, is going to be an important part of my job. I have to assure them that they remain part of our plans and encourage them to keep them playing the game. That’s what’s going to make this a winning province.”