Former Cape Cobras head coach Shukri Conrad and former Titans head coach Rob Walter have been appointed the Proteas’ Test coach and limited-overs coach, respectively.
Conrad and Walters’ tenures will start on 1 February 2023.
The Proteas will have an interim coach for late January’s limited-over series against England. Whether current interim coach Malibongwe Maketa is retained for the England series remains in the balance.
Conrad and Walter have effectively succeeded former Proteas head coach Mark Boucher.
Cricket South Africa divided the head coach responsibility into Test and limited-overs posts after Boucher’s resignation.
“Their leadership is very strong and they are clear in their minds about how to move South African cricket forward,” said Cricket South Africa director of cricket Enoch Nkwe. “Not just the national teams, but also our domestic system.
“For Test cricket, we want to be in the top three, but we are pushing for number one, even if it takes another three or four years to get there. Over the next two years, we are solidifying our position and building a bigger player pool.
“For limited-overs cricket, we are not going to strictly judge them on the 2023 World Cup. We want to ensure we can compete there but they are not going to be judged on that.
“One plan is going to be what is required right now over the next eight months, and the second one is the medium- to long-term plan for our white-ball team.”
Conrad was the coach of South Africa Under-19 last year – and previously coached the Lions and Cobras at franchise level. He has also coached Uganda in international cricket.
Walter worked with the Proteas as conditioning and fielding coach several years ago – and later became head coach of the Titans. He then relocated to New Zealand – and was head coach of Otago and Central Districts.
Former West Indies director of cricket Richard Pybus, Sunrisers Eastern Cape coach Adrian Birrell and Maketa were also in contention to succeed Boucher in part.
Former Proteas all-rounder Lance Klusener interviewed, too. Klusener’s application, however, was later withdrawn.
Langeveldt leaves
Nkwe, meanwhile, has confirmed the departure of bowling coach Charl Langeveldt. He, like Boucher, has been hired by an Indian Premier League team.
“Someone like Charl has already indicated that he’s going to be moving on. He’s been in the international space for the past four years, but he’s not necessarily lost to the system,” added Nkwe.
“He’s looking at other opportunities because it is very hard for other coaches to sustain their well-being over a four to eight-year period.
“We respect his decision, and he’s got an opportunity now with the Indian Premier League, but we’ll also look at ways of how he can add value to the system in a different role.”