South Africa head coach Mandla Mashimbyi has defended sweeping changes to the Proteas women’s support staff, saying the decision was driven by the need for “new energy and perspective” rather than panic following a disappointing tour of New Zealand.
The restructuring comes ahead of a high-profile T20I series against India, beginning in Durban on Friday, and includes the departure of batting coach Baakier Abrahams, fielding coach Bongani Ndaba, and strength and conditioning coach Zane Webster. They have been replaced by Andrew Puttick, Mduduzi Mbhatha and Tumi Masekela respectively, while bowling coach Dillon du Preez has retained his position.
Mashimbyi insisted the changes were part of a broader long-term vision rather than a reaction to recent results. “There will never be good timing for this kind of thing, it was a tough decision. But there was nothing personal with the coaching staff. It was important to look forward. I felt we need a change of voice, of energy, perspective … whether it will work, only time will tell,” Mashimbyi said.
Despite concerns over South Africa’s bowling struggles during the New Zealand tour, the head coach backed du Preez, emphasising that the issues were more about execution than coaching capability. South Africa’s attack lacked penetration, particularly in the absence of an out-and-out pace threat, which exposed their reliance on building pressure rather than striking regularly.
Mashimbyi acknowledged that the team is still adjusting to that identity, admitting that the lack of collective pressure allowed opposition batters to dominate, especially against the spin unit. “As a unit, you want pressure coming from all sides, and that didn’t happen unfortunately. Our spinners weren’t as effective and that was because we didn’t create enough pressure, we didn’t hunt as a pack. Which made it easy for the New Zealanders against our spinners,” said Mashimbyi.
The absence of experienced fast bowlers has been a key concern, with Marizanne Kapp currently on a return-to-play programme following illness. Mashimbyi also revealed he has remained in contact with former pace spearhead Shabnim Ismail, who retired from international cricket in 2023 but continues to feature in franchise leagues. “(It would be) nice to have a player of Shabnim’s calibre in our attack. Maybe she will call me tomorrow — and if she does, that would be great. But we need to work with what we have,” he said.
South Africa now face a stern test against an in-form Indian side boasting a formidable batting line-up that includes players such as Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Shafali Verma. Mashimbyi acknowledged the challenge but also highlighted the opportunity it presents for his squad to measure themselves against the best. “This series is about a reset — India at home is a good tester for where we are ahead of the World Cup.”
With the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on the horizon, the upcoming series is being viewed as a crucial phase in South Africa’s preparations. The focus remains on building a cohesive unit capable of adapting to modern demands, even as the team navigates a period of transition both on and off the field.
(Quotes sourced from Times Live)
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