Botha bids bye-bye

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Cape Town

A dozen losses from 17 matches across all formats this season has cost Piet Botha his job as head coach of the Warriors.

The franchise said on Wednesday that Botha would not re-apply for the position when his contract expires in April and would relinquish the reins to Warriors assistant coach Malibongwe Maketa for the rest of the season. Botha would stay on as a technical advisor.

“I believe that the team is in need of a new direction and part of that process is to get a coach with a fresh approach,” a release quoted Botha as saying.

“It will be important for the team to finish the season with some good results and I hope that I will be able to assist them in doing this,” Maketa was quoted as saying.

Gary Paul, the chair of Cricket Eastern Cape’s human resources and remuneration committee, promised a “competitive recruitment process” to find Botha’s permanent replacement.

Botha, a former Warriors player, has been head coach since 2011.