Times Media
TELFORD VICE, Johannesburg
Ray Jennings is out of a job less than eight weeks after reaching the pinnacle of his coaching career by guiding SA’s under-19 team to World Cup glory.
Cricket SA (CSA) said yesterday former Strikers coach and Lions assistant coach Lawrence Mahatlane would replace Jennings. Shukri Conrad, previously coach of the Strikers, the Lions and the Cobras, has been appointed coach of CSA’s academy.
“My passion has always been about the development of young cricketers,” Mahatlane said yesterday. “I believe I can make a difference at this level.”
Under Mahatlane, Gauteng won the three-day competition in 2006-07 and the next season’s one-day event.
Conrad won the one-day title with the Strikers in 2003-04, the season before the introduction of franchises, and the 2006-07 one-day, 2008-09 T20 and 2009-10 first-class championships after moving to the Cape.
He said his new role would involve serving as a link between the semi-professional and franchise systems.
Jennings said he was informed yesterday by CSA that his contract would not be renewed when it expires at the end of this month. He said he was “bitterly disappointed” by CSA’s decision.
In line with CSA’s plan to restructure junior cricket, Jennings re-applied for a position and said he was interviewed “two or three weeks ago”.
Yesterday, the fifth last working day of April, he was told his services would no longer be required.
Asked what his next career move would be, Jennings could not say.
“I’ve stayed in SA, I’ve been loyal to SA, I haven’t looked elsewhere like other coaches have, and my record speaks for itself,” he said. “But if the system doesn’t want you then it doesn’t want you.”
Jennings, a star wicketkeeper during SA’s international isolation, coached the then Transvaal team and Easterns before taking the reins with SA A.
In October 2004, he was named SA’s caretaker coach. Under him, SA lost test series to India and England and won rubbers against Zimbabwe and West Indies. Mickey Arthur succeeded Jennings in May 2005. He has been the national under-19 coach since 2006.
Jennings coached Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore from 2009 until last year. They reached the final in 2009 and 2011 and the semi-finals in 2010.
On March 1, SA beat Pakistan by six wickets in the under-19 World Cup final in Dubai this country’s first victory in any International Cricket Council tournament since 1998.
Two days later, the squad paraded their trophy at Newlands, where the senior SA team were being handed a hiding by Australia in the third test.
Jennings was in high spirits that day: “We’ve played the best. We are the best. We’ve done something right.”
But it seems, by CSA’s standards, Jennings did not do the right thing well enough to be given the chance to keep doing it.
“Change is inevitable,” a CSA statement yesterday quoted chief executive Haroon Lorgat as saying. Lorgat also thanked Jennings for his “fantastic service”.
Jennings had a different message for his under-19 team yesterday: “Good luck and thank you for leaving me some good memories.”
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