SA cricket coach to assist Botswana team
Dumisani Ncube | Thursday April 30, 2015 14:58
The cricket team is preparing for the ICC World Cricket League Division VI tournament, which England hosts in September this year.
Botswana Cricket Association (BCA) fixtures and publicity secretary, Sumod Damodar said Rudolph was invited by the association to assist the national team, which is without a head coach since the departure of Arjun Menon two years ago.
He said Rudolph, the father of former Proteas batsman, Jacques, has worked with the Botswana Under-19 team before. The senior team is drawn from clubs from the north and south.
Rudolph is expected to work on the team’s weakness after they secured qualification to the England tournament. In England, the team faces Saudi Arabia, Fiji, Vanuata, Cayman Islands Guernsey and Suriname.
This weekend’s training sessions will be held at the BCA Oval starting from 9 am to 5 pm. Rudolph has also coached in Namibia and Uganda.
Damodar stated that Rudolph would work with a squad that comprises of senior and Under-19 players.
“We want to give every player a chance of being part of the final squad and players will be selected on merit,” he said.
The final squad will be selected in August. Damodar, said the T20 league matches scheduled for the weekend have been suspended to pave way for the national team camp. He however could not give the actual number and names of players in camp since the selection is still open
But Damodar said the BCA is in the process of appointing a head coach for the national team. “We need a coach like yesterday. We have two or three candidates that will not mention at the moment,” he said.
He said some of the candidates are from overseas while others are from within Africa. When the team played the qualifiers in South Africa, Kenyan Joseph Angara drilled the team prior to its departure.