From T20 World Cup Final To A Poor Bilateral Record: Rob Walter's Highs And Lows
With the shocking resignation of Proteas limited-overs coach Rob Walter announced by Cricket South Africa on Tuesday, Independent Media's Ongama Gcwabe highlights the highs and lows of his two-year tenure.
HIGH: T20 World Cup FinalThe curse of the semi-final in ICC events for the Proteas men's senior team has always been a real, hard pill to swallow. With strong squads such as the 1999 World Cup squad and the AB de Villiers-led 2015 World Cup squad, South Africa just could not get over the line in the semifinals.
Walter, with a squad without as many stars, led South Africa to their first-ever final in the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados. This is the achievement that instilled belief in the Proteas squad and inspired generations to come.
LOW: Dismal bilateral recordWhile the team reached new heights in ICC events, they were shocking in bilateral series. In T20I series, Walter has only one series victory, last summer's 2-0 series victory against Pakistan, while he went on to lose against the West Indies home and away, lost to Australia at home and even failed to win a series against minnows Ireland.
The 49-year-old won only six out of 22 bilateral T20i matches. He had a similar record in One Day Internationals bilateral series as he won only 12 out of 25 matches, including a series loss to Afghanistan, a feat that saw the coach under pressure for most of his tenure.