Proteas: Russell Domingo on everything else … except his job

Despite him re-applying for his post of Proteas coach grabbing all the headlines, Russell Domingo and his troops start a crucial Test series against England at Lord’s on Thursday.

And there’s much more to talk about than just his future employment.

Also read: Russell Domingo still wants to coach the Proteas

Here’s what Domingo had to say on other issues.

Dean Elgar’s captaincy…

I’m absolutely looking forward to it. He’s a gutsy player, he epitomises South African cricket to the tee. So I’m really excited about working with him the next couple of days as captain.

Who’ll replace the absent Faf du Plessis…

Theunis de Bruyn played the one Test match in New Zealand. As you know we’ve been trying to promote a sense of fairness to the players. We haven’t really discarded one player after just one Test. At the moment, Theunis would be in line to replace Faf.

How vital Vernon Philander’s fitness is…

He’s fit and ready. He’s bowling at full pace. Vernon is a fantastic bowler. I’ve often said he’s actually the most difficult bowler to replace in our side. We tend to struggle a bit when he’s not present because he gives us control and provides a bit of cutting edge when there’s something in the wicket. Vernon also balances the side with his batting.

The mental state of the side after the poor results on tour to date…

It was always going to be a long three months, regardless of whether we would be winning or losing. There are about five players that were involved in the ICC Champions Trophy. There are a whole host of players that will bring unbelievable energy so the confidence is high. This is an unbelievable place to tour, this where an international cricketer wants to tour. We want to keep building our brand in Test cricket. 

His mother’s health after he flew back for the family emergency…

She’s still fighting away. It’s difficult when you’re 80 and you’ve various operations. There was a lot of trauma internally, so she’s got a long way to go.

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