Well let's start a New Year with a new thread and some news - Allan Donald has been offered the job as Director of Cricket with Matt Walker staying on as first team coach.
Allan Donald, the former South Africa fast bowler, has been offered a senior coaching role at Kent.
Donald is currently negotiating with the club about the position, thought to be director of cricket, which would see Matt Walker, officially assistant coach at present, promoted to work alongside him. The exact hierarchy and official designations are among the points that require finalising.
It is understood Matthew Mott, currently the Australia Women's coach, was originally favoured for the director of cricket role but, after having talks with the club, decided against it.
Donald is a hugely experienced bowling coach - he has held positions with the South Africa, England and, most recently, the Australia and Royal Challengers Bangalore teams - but taking responsibility for all aspects of a club will be a less familiar experience.
He was promoted to head coach at Pune Warriors in 2013, and also held a short-term role at Knights (the Bloemfontein-based franchise). More recently, he was interviewed by his former club, Warwickshire, for one of the roles subsequently filled by Ashley Giles and Jim Troughton.
The Kent role was vacated when Jimmy Adams resigned in October after five seasons in charge. Adams has subsequently been short-listed for the West Indies coaching position.
Somehow we've allowed Canters to dilute and belittle this breaking news!!!!
Anyway, if we do manage to get him, Donald will be a great acquisition - not only in terms of his experience but his ability to help our up and coming fast bowlers. We will retain the in house influence of Matt Walker for the batting and Min Patel for spin.
And of course a SA connection of this nature never does any harm when it comes to players who might want to help us out during the course of the season - anyone know of a decent one day SA batsman who could be influenced to join for say the T20s?
Well let's start a New Year with a new thread and some news - Allan Donald has been offered the job as Director of Cricket with Matt Walker staying on as first team coach.
He's probably still faster than the rest of our pace bowlers!
Kyle Abbott and Rilee Rossouw sign for Hants. Better hurry up and get Donald in before they all get signed up elsewhere. Having said that, hopefully, he's probably had a word in ABV's ear!!!
Of course, ABV plays with someone called Kohli for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Kohli is looking to play here to experience English conditons. Donald is bowling coach with the RCB. Perhaps we could use both of them over the course of the summer!
Would like to see it on the official website first but Matt is a very good coach. There is also the question of Donald's short and long term commitment - would his IPL/SA involvements mean that he couldn't be there all summer and/or after this season? So why not give Matt the opportunity now?
We actually do badly need a top fast bowling coach and clearly Donald fits that bill. Matt will oversee the batting and Min will look after the spinners.
As I say, would like to see all this officially as opposed to the Daily Mail feed.
Kyle Abbott and Rilee Rossouw sign for Hants. Better hurry up and get Donald in before they all get signed up elsewhere. Having said that, hopefully, he's probably had a word in ABV's ear!!!
As an aside there's something really wrong with cricket, whether the SA quota system, the pre BREXIT rush or the Sky money, when someone like Abbott is giving up Test cricket to play for Hampshire as a Kolpak
Matt's son, Charlie, is in the same Kent age group as Seb. He is over 6 foot tall and plays in goal for the Gillingham youth team. Not a "chip off the old block".
Kyle Abbott and Rilee Rossouw sign for Hants. Better hurry up and get Donald in before they all get signed up elsewhere. Having said that, hopefully, he's probably had a word in ABV's ear!!!
As an aside there's something really wrong with cricket, whether the SA quota system, the pre BREXIT rush or the Sky money, when someone like Abbott is giving up Test cricket to play for Hampshire as a Kolpak
It's all to do with money. They are not paid well in SA. ABV is apparently on £120k per year which doubles with sponsorship. The fringe Test players are almost certainly way behind that.
A couple of appointments have been made but neither a surprise - Min Patel, having stood in for Simon Willis as Director of the Academy last season, is now 2nd X1 Manager and Jason Weaver, who was Academy Manager, is now the Director.
Kyle Abbott and Rilee Rossouw sign for Hants. Better hurry up and get Donald in before they all get signed up elsewhere. Having said that, hopefully, he's probably had a word in ABV's ear!!!
As an aside there's something really wrong with cricket, whether the SA quota system, the pre BREXIT rush or the Sky money, when someone like Abbott is giving up Test cricket to play for Hampshire as a Kolpak
It's all to do with money. They are not paid well in SA. ABV is apparently on £120k per year which doubles with sponsorship. The fringe Test players are almost certainly way behind that.
The Latham situation reminded me of this
The ECB has to subsidise the counties (one of the justifications for the Sky TV deal), yet the counties are able to afford overseas players when broke (Durham), or to pay SA players more than their country can afford.
He was a very quick bowler of the fifties, sixties and early seventies and something of a 'cricketing Sinatra' in that he retired and came back from both the 3 day and 1 day format. I believe there was something like 6 years between his final and penultimate 1 day appearances.
Put it on here rather than open a separate RIP thread as those interested will look here anyway.
I remember David Sayer opening the bowling with David Halfyard at The Rectory Field. I didn't know that fact about David Sayer, @LenGlover. His autograph, now lost, was on the front page of my Autograph book alongside Stuart Leary if I remember correctly.
Comments
Allan Donald, the former South Africa fast bowler, has been offered a senior coaching role at Kent.
Donald is currently negotiating with the club about the position, thought to be director of cricket, which would see Matt Walker, officially assistant coach at present, promoted to work alongside him. The exact hierarchy and official designations are among the points that require finalising.
It is understood Matthew Mott, currently the Australia Women's coach, was originally favoured for the director of cricket role but, after having talks with the club, decided against it.
Donald is a hugely experienced bowling coach - he has held positions with the South Africa, England and, most recently, the Australia and Royal Challengers Bangalore teams - but taking responsibility for all aspects of a club will be a less familiar experience.
He was promoted to head coach at Pune Warriors in 2013, and also held a short-term role at Knights (the Bloemfontein-based franchise). More recently, he was interviewed by his former club, Warwickshire, for one of the roles subsequently filled by Ashley Giles and Jim Troughton.
The Kent role was vacated when Jimmy Adams resigned in October after five seasons in charge. Adams has subsequently been short-listed for the West Indies coaching position.
It'll be nice to have a smaller club like you guys joining us big boys at the top table.
It's "piss off".
Canters, piss off.
Anyway, if we do manage to get him, Donald will be a great acquisition - not only in terms of his experience but his ability to help our up and coming fast bowlers. We will retain the in house influence of Matt Walker for the batting and Min Patel for spin.
And of course a SA connection of this nature never does any harm when it comes to players who might want to help us out during the course of the season - anyone know of a decent one day SA batsman who could be influenced to join for say the T20s?
dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-4090924/Kent-appoint-Matt-Walker-new-head-coach-former-South-Africa-fast-bowler-Allan-Donald-joins-No-2.html
We actually do badly need a top fast bowling coach and clearly Donald fits that bill. Matt will oversee the batting and Min will look after the spinners.
As I say, would like to see all this officially as opposed to the Daily Mail feed.
kentcricket.co.uk/news/kents-new-coaching-team-revealed?utm_source=Kent%20County%20Cricket%20Club&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=7886309_Extra%20Cover%20-%205%20January%202017&dm_i=1NLC,4P145,B6NWUV,HK5S9,1
Can't help thinking the photo is the wrong way round, as looking at it you'd think Donald was the head coach, especially as his photo is bigger!
Still you cannot have him and Kohli!
The ECB has to subsidise the counties (one of the justifications for the Sky TV deal), yet the counties are able to afford overseas players when broke (Durham), or to pay SA players more than their country can afford.
Something doesn't seem right here.
He was a very quick bowler of the fifties, sixties and early seventies and something of a 'cricketing Sinatra' in that he retired and came back from both the 3 day and 1 day format. I believe there was something like 6 years between his final and penultimate 1 day appearances.
Put it on here rather than open a separate RIP thread as those interested will look here anyway.
http://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/former-fast-bowler-david-sayers-dies-aged-80
RIP