Published: Aug 05, 2019, 02:50 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 05, 2019, 02:50 PM (IST)
A day after Cricket South Africa (CSA) took the decision to remove Ottis Gibson as coach of the South African cricket team, the skipper Faf du Plessis tweeted a message of appreciate to the outgoing West Indian.
On Sunday, CSA announced that Gibson, as well as the coaching staff he worked with over the past two years, would not have their contracts renewed. The decision came after the team finished seventh at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
Du Plessis, who led South Africa across formats when Gibson was coach, took to Twitter to show his gratitude.
(READ: Kevin Pietersen backs Mark Boucher as best candidate to replace Gibson)
“@MrODGibson gonna miss you coach,” he tweeted. “Have spent a lot of time together over the last 18 months and you become a friend of mine. You are a great man. Thank you for everything that you have done. We appreciate you.”
Extremely thankful and honored for all the awards last night. For my name to be amongst the great names of South African cricket as the cricketer of the year is a dream come true, but more importantly to be voted as… https://t.co/GvVCJ272OH
— Faf Du Plessis (@faf1307) August 4, 2019
Under the former West Indies pace bowler’s guidance, South Africa lost just one Test series while beating India, Australia, Pakistan and Bangladesh. In ODIs, South Africa beat Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Australia and lost only to India.
But after a disastrous World Cup campaign in England, Gibson did not have his contract renewed by CSA.
(READ: World Cup review: Big guns misfire as South Africa come a cropper)
Earlier this year, Gibson revealed that it is written in his CSA contract that he had to win South Africa the World Cup to keep his job.
Also not getting contract renewals are Malibongwe Maketa (assistant coach), Dale Benkenstein (batting coach), Justin Ontong (fielding coach) and Claude Henderson (spin bowling coach).
Until CSA can identify Gibson’s replacement, Corrie van Zyl has been named as acting Director of Cricket. Among van Zyl’s immediate tasks is to put together a coaching staff to take South Africa to India in September for three T20Is, followed by three Tests in October.
South Africa-born former England captain Kevin Pietersen urged CSA to name Mark Boucher as coach.
