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Lions bowling coach Allan Donald has lauded Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) expanded domestic structure, praising the governing body’s decision to broaden competition across all formats.
The reform introduces, among others, key changes to the Pro20 Cup, pitting 15 domestic unions alongside an SA Emerging side in two groups of eight. This format guarantees genuine David vs. Goliath match-ups, offering lower-tier players unprecedented exposure to top-tier opposition.
“I’m a big fan of surveying the talent in South Africa,” Donald said. “In the T20s, where you’re going to be going to Oudtshoorn, we’re going to get the boys from Border coming to us. There might be some guys—some ‘giant slayers.’ Someone’s going to walk into a team that’s going to get met by Division 2 teams.”
The widespread praise for CSA’s innovation finds a firm echo in Donald’s assessment.
“I think that’s a great step forward, that those guys get exposed to the first-class system, into Division 1, with quality opposition,” Donald noted. “Everyone’s been shouting ‘more cricket, more cricket’—we’ve got it now. Now it’s time that we respond.”
The First-Class Series will also see Division 1 teams play more red-ball matches. This increase in fixtures provides crucial longest-format experience for rising players at a time when the Proteas men’s side continues to push for more red-ball action.
“More so, the red-ball season for me brings more cricket, more Test match flavour,” Donald said. “The chat now is more about people wanting to get into that Proteas Test team. There’s a hunger for that now, so that’s great to hear.”
For Donald and the Lions coaching staff, Test cricket remains the absolute pinnacle of the sport.
“We talk about Test match mindset, Test match intensity, and Test match intent. Hashim [Amla] speaks about it with his batting, I speak about it with our bowlers, and Russell [Domingo] drives that hard. Whatever opposition we face, we can’t control their quality, but we can control our own standards. There are some good teams out there, and we’ve got to earn the right to challenge by building those foundational blocks.”
The Proteas fast-bowling legend added that utilising the depth of his squad will be essential to navigate the demanding, expanded calendar.
“We’re going to need every resource available this year, far more than last season—100%. There are going to be some tough games ahead. The pitch for our second game at Grey College is flat, and it might well turn.”
Fourteen years can be either a short or long time in football. That period has certainly served as the latter for Pitso Mosimane, but he is not complaining. He has used it to hone his craft, reflect, and gain wisdom.Resplendent in a black suit and light blue shirt, Mosimane, who signed a four-year deal, was officially unveiled as the new Bafana Bafana coach at Safa headquarters in Nasrec on Tuesday, […]
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