Proteas plot life after Boucher as Maketa named interim coach for Australia tour

Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Wednesday announced that South Africa A coach Malibongwe Maketa has been appointed as the Proteas' interim head coach for their upcoming three-match Test tour of Australia.

Maketa will replace Mark Boucher, who will step down as Proteas head coach following the completion of the ongoing T20 World Cup in Australia.

The 42-year-old Maketa will step into his new role from December until early January.

Maketa, who is currently the South Africa A coach and National Academy Lead, will take charge of the Proteas in their upcoming penultimate series of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) in Australia.

The Proteas find themselves placed second on the table behind Australia following two series wins, one loss and one draw in the second cycle of the WTC.  

Maketa, who was the Proteas assistant head coach from 2017-2019, was part of South Africa's Test tour of England earlier this year, where he worked as a consultant during the four-day warm-up match against the England Lions and the triumphant first Test at Lord's in August.

Director of cricket, Enoch Nkwe, stated that Cricket SA was looking for someone who knew the players well and could easily take over the helm.

"We are pleased to name Malibongwe as our interim coach to lead the Proteas in Australia. He is a familiar face to the environment and has worked in the same space previously when he served as assistant coach," said Nkwe.

"Mali knows most of the players well; they know him too; and with such a short time between now and the tour, we, as Cricket South Africa, felt we needed someone who could step in immediately and lead us through what is an important series for the Proteas.  

"We would like to wish him well on his appointment. He has our full