Or how about you, Sipu?
Here’s our new Australian Team Coach and Selector, Mikey Arthur.
A Saffer who coached the Proteas with some success until he suddenly left after a disagreement with CSA or Graeme Smith or possibly both.
At the time he avowed that he wanted nothing more than to move to England and coach a County Team, but apparently the Poms didn’t want him and he ended up as coach to the WA (West Australia) Warriors. He has a reputation for being a good man-manager – is that praise, or is it a nice way of saying that his cricket isn’t very good?
Reactions from Aussie fans have been mixed, so far. Some of the derogatory comments included –
- Anyone would be better than Tim Neilsen
- Why can’t we have an Aussie coach?
- Does this mean our team will become as arrogant and precious as the Proteas?
However, a swift count showed that there have been rather more positive comments than negative ones; here’s a selection –
- Anyone would be better than Tim Neilsen
- Don’t be silly, we already are that arrogant.
- He’s the only person who can make Mitch Johnson bowl properly (reflecting last year’s Ashes match in Perth)
- This is the first sensible thing CA have done in ages.
- It’s about time we had someone who doesn’t have a background in NSW or CA politics
It is said that he intends to take Aussie citizenship as soon as he’s eligible. I wonder what happened to his desire to become a Pom?
Anyway, what’s the verdict from a South African perspective, I wonder?
Boadicea's Chariot 
I’ve always liked him.
I liked him during his playing career, often watched him playing for The Free State (a gritty top order batsman.)
His first major coaching job was right here in Port Elizabeth, we hadn’t won a trophy for perhaps 20 years, he changed that, he took Eastern Province cricket from an absolute shambles to one of the major provincial players in a short 4 or 5 years.
It was this that got him national attention.
He was quite a successful national coach, finding and nurturing new talent, remember Duminy over in Oz 2008/9?
I remember his departure from The Proteas very well, I would have preferred to have sacked the board (CSA) and kept Mickey Arthur.
Majola (CSA) and other board members are all being investigated for embezzling huge sums from SA Cricket, no sponsors today want to touch them, did you notice;-
No title sponsor for the SA / Oz T20’s
No title sponsor for the SA / Oz 50over series
Sunfoil were last minute sponsors of the recent 2 tests (literally appointed the weekend before the start of the Newlands test)
We have no title sponsor for our domestic 50 over competition
Not sure if we have a sponsor for our domestic T20 but I don’t think so.
I could go on but in summary I think he’s a nice person and a good coach. Is he the right choice for your lot? Who knows, one thing I would have no worries about is his record.
Thanks Soutie – that sounds quite encouraging, in fact it sounds very encouraging. 🙂
I didn’t know about the fraud within CSA, and I never take any notice of sponsors. I’ll have to do some research.
Here’s a part of it
“According to the KPMG report, Majola paid himself R1.8-million from the bonuses totalling R4.7-million.
The bonuses were paid from money that Cricket SA received for successfully hosting the Indian Premier League and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2009. KMPG found that the R4.7-million was kept secret from Cricket SA’s remuneration committee.
Cricket SA also allegedly paid the travel costs of Majola’s children and wife, according to the auditors’ report.
The audit found that Majola’s conduct was in breach of his fiduciary duties as a director.”
More here
Note, these are not allegations but statements of fact from a well respected firm of auditors, there’s more, much more but this report will give you an idea of how corrupt officials here are.
Wow!
As corrupt as India and Pakistan, if not more so. 😯