Maketa joins Junior Proteas as high performance consultant

Johannesburg, Jan 1 (IANS) South Africa have appointed Malibongwe Maketa as high performance consultant to the South Africa Under-19 squad currently preparing for the upcoming World Cup.He will join head coach Lawrence Mahatlane’s squad in time for their quadrangular series against India, New Zealand and Zimbabwe starting in Durban on Friday and will continue in this role through the junior World Cup, announced Cricket South Africa on Tuesday. “As we have done with the consultants we have appointed to the Standard Bank Proteas it is important to have people with international experience working with our various squads,” said CSA Acting Director of Cricket Graeme Smith. “Mali fits the bill perfectly, having worked as Ottis Gibson’s assistant coach with the Proteas from 2017 to 2019. Before that he was a successful franchise coach with the Warriors, taking them to both the Momentum One-Day Cup and T20 Challenge finals in the 2016/17 season.”Today’s five-wicket victory over India in the final match of their Youth ODI Series in East London can be seen as a positive and we will be doing everything we can to support them,” concluded Smith.–IANSaak/dpb