Unexpected turn: The shocking resignation of Rob Walter and its impact on Proteas

While sports coaches tend to come and go, it still came as a massive shock when Cricket South Africa dropped its press release on Tuesday at 4pm, with the news that Proteas white-ball coach Rob Walter had vacated his position.

It’s said that Walter quit his post due to ‘personal reasons’ and it’s unlikely we’ll ever find out just exactly what that means.

Of course, Walter as coach will have taken a lot of criticism - a lot of it unfair - for failing to win an ICC event during his tenure.

But then only one coach in South Africa’s men’s senior team history has managed that feat, which was Bob Woolmer in 1998.

Walter's coaching tenure: Achievements and challenges leading to his decision

Outside of ICC events, Walter also has only managed one bilateral series win as coach, which could have contributed to his decision.

Walter did, however, oversee the side to their first-ever Cricket World Cup final when they came up against India last year. Ultimately, India triumphed in that fateful T20 trophy match, but it was still major progress for the senior men’s team in a Cricket World Cup.

The Proteas also reached the semi-final of the 2023 50-over World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy last four just under a month ago.

Perhaps though, that most recent semi-final heartbreak could be what led to Walter’s decision, if you look at it a little more closely.

On paper, it seems South Africa were outclassed by New Zealand as they lost to the Kiwis by 50 runs. In fact, that margin of defeat was flattering as David Miller only managed to batter the Kiwi attack after the result was pretty much a foregone conclusion.

It was perhaps the most hollow century scored by a Proteas player possibly ever, and to be fair, it was not even his fault.

The Proteas simply scored too slowly in pursuit of the imposing 363 set to win, and though it should not be classified as a ‘choke’, South Africa were too conservative in their approach.

South Africa’s repeated ICC heartbreaks: Examining the impact on the Proteas

The most shocking aspect of the loss is that’s exactly what happened to South Africa on several occasions before in ICC matches, even sometimes when rain was incorrectly blamed for the Proteas’ exit.

In the 2015 Cricket World Cup semi-final also against New Zealand, though South Africa scored a decent 281 in their rain-shortened 43-over innings batting first, slow batting up front cost them.

Hashim Amla made 10 from 14, Quinton de Kock 14 from 17, Rilee Rossouw 39 from 53. Even Faf du Plessis’s 82 needed 107 balls.

Of the main contributors, it was only AB de Villiers (65 from 45) and again Miller (49 from 18) who scored at over a strike-rate of over 82.

There are even more examples I wrote about after the Proteas exited quietly from the Champions Trophy, but one can only surmise that the latest setback hurt the Proteas far more than they care to share and Walter was the one to suffer.

@Michael_Sherman

IOL Sport

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