OPINION: The Proteas need more players, not a new coach

Despite his team reaching an all-time low, Proteas limited overs coach Rob Walter doesn’t seem too concerned about losing his job. And he should feel safe because he’s not the problem.

The real issue is the lack of depth in South African cricket, which can only be fixed by strengthening the foundations of the domestic game.

We’ve seen multiple examples in recent years of players who have shone at domestic level but have not stepped up at international level.

Insufficient depth

It does often take time for players to make the transition, but the quality of the local game needs to be sufficient for new members of the Proteas squad to make the step up.

The national team did well to reach the semifinals of the 50-over World Cup in India last year and the final of the T20 World Cup in the West Indies earlier this year.

They have been criticised for their inconsistency, however, which was again highlighted by their 3-1 T20 series loss to India last week.

Most concerning was the complete annihilation the Proteas faced in the fourth match of the series at the Wanderers on Friday, as they fell in a 135-run defeat.

Juggling players

With a Test series coming up against Sri Lanka, South Africa rested some senior players last week (most notably key bowlers) and they struggled to put up a fight.

India are in the same position, with a Test series against Australia starting on Friday, but they flaunted their depth against the Proteas, destroying the hosts.

In order to have a big enough pool of players to be able to compete consistently, the Proteas essentially need two full squads.

That requires a strong standard of domestic cricket, and at the moment, it just seems the base is too weak to support both Walter and Test coach Shukri Conrad.

Walter accepted the blame for the defeat to India, and he must shoulder at least some of it, but he can only work with what he’s got.

The Proteas don’t need a new coach. They need more world-class players, and it starts with building solid foundations in the local game.