Africa-Press – South-Africa. The Central Gauteng Lions have taken advantage of their sponsor Mahindra to land Jonty Rhodes as fielding coach for the next 12 months.
Rhodes will start working with the Lions this off-season but his role will stretch much further than working with the Lions’ senior men’s team.
“He’ll be involved with our development pipe, have workshops with clubs and schools and our women’s team and the junior sides. We want him to have a holistic approach,” said Lions CEO Jono Leaf-Wright.
Rhodes, 55, has been a brand ambassador for the Indian car manufacturer which has had a commercial partnership with the union. Rhodes, who played 52 Tests, joins an already star-studded coaching line-up headed by Russell Domingo and including Hashim Amla, Allan Donald and Garnett Kruger, while former Proteas wicketkeeper Trisha Chetty is also attached to the union’s women’s team.
Rhodes will work with the union until the end of next season, but Leaf-Wright said it wouldn’t necessarily include accompanying the men’s team to every match.
“We want our players to be exposed to the best expertise, not only to help them grow as cricketers but also as people, and appointing someone such as Jonty is part of that process.”
In the initial post-isolation era, Rhodes emerged as one of the most popular cricketers in South Africa and around the world, especially in India. He worked as the Proteas fielding coach during the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean. Lately he’s been attached to the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL and has also worked as fielding coach for the Durban franchise in the SA20.
He splits his time between his home in Cape Town and the famous holiday city of Goa on India’s west coast.
“I am relishing this opportunity to work with Lions Cricket over the next 12 months, where I can hopefully add value to all levels of cricket in Gauteng,” Rhodes said.
In another 1990s throwback, Cricket SA announced on Tuesday it re-signed with Castle Lager for the World Test Championship final.
Castle will be the official sponsors for the Proteas for their June 11-15 clash against Australia at Lord’s with their logo appearing on the sleeve of the playing shirt.
Most of the Proteas squad who have been in India for the IPL will be back in South Africa by May 27 before heading to England three days later.
South Africa will face Zimbabwe in a four-day warm-up match in Arundel from June 3.
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