Proteas Test captain Dean Elgar wanted Maketa as interim coach

Proteas Test captain Dean Elgar has revealed he lobbied for the appointment of Malibongwe Maketa as interim coach for the upcoming Test series in Australia.

Maketa took over the Proteas on an interim basis for this crucial ICC World Test Championship tour which starts in Brisbane on December 17 before moving to Melbourne on Boxing Day and Sydney in the New Year.

“He is one of the coaches I asked our director of cricket (Enoch Nkwe) to try and get in to be the interim coach and I got that right, which was nice,” he said, adding he had fruitful conversations with Maketa.

“It is nice to have a director of cricket who has cricket at heart and is backing the team’s leadership that needs to be backed. We have had a lot of good conversations along the way. He (Maketa) has been fighting for us off the field for the last few weeks, which is good to see.

“He is coming in as interim coach and he understands his role, which is going to be a supportive role. I think he understands me as a cricketer, as a person and obviously as a leader.”

It has never been easy to play Test cricket against the Australians, who can be aggressive at home, and Elgar said they will have to be street smart and play positively.

“The brand of cricket is going to be the positive one I want us to play, but in saying have to be street smart in Australia. He (Maketa)e comes with lots of experience and he has been in the system for as long as I can remember.

“He’s got a lot of accolades with regards to domestic cricket, he has been around the SA ‘A’ side and as a result he knows a few guys, which is good to have.

“He is a great energy to be around the group and he comes with lot of experience, which is good.”

The other interesting thing for Maketa and Elgar is how they are going to balance the side for the first Test.

“The two options are definitely on the table, whether it is 7/4 or 6/5. I think at the end of the day it is going to be about what I am happy taking on the field and whether I feel bowlers have enough in the tank to perform a heavy workload.

“It is a tough one but there are conversations around as to whether we go with 7/4 or 6/5. We are obviously going to make the decision that is going to be best for the side for the respective Tests and the conditions we are going to face.

“We are in a bit of a debate around it. I sort of have my mind set out on what I am looking for. It is  about having those lines of communication and the decision making has to be for the benefit of side we put out on the field.”

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