South African coach Mickey Arthur has resigned in the wake of the team’s failure to beat England in a recent Test series.
Arthur and Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola will address a press conference in East London, today.
A South African newspaper report claimed yesterday that Arthur had resigned after a meeting with Cricket SA management to discuss South Africa’s performances against England. The tourists beat South Africa in a rain-hit one-day series and drew a four-match Test series.
Arthur was appointed in 2005, originally on a two-year contract. But his contract was extended several times and he was due to guide the side until 2012.
The highlights of Arthur’s tenure were Test series wins in England and Australia in 2008. South Africa achieved the official No. 1 ranking in both Test and one-day cricket during his time in charge.
But after those highs, South Africa lost a home series against Australia, failed to reach the knock-out stage of the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa and then performed only spasmodically against England.
Arthur forged a close relationship with South African captain Graeme Smith.
In an article for last year’s South African Cricket Annual Arthur said he saw himself and Smith as a leadership package, “with me as a sort of board chairman and Graeme as the CEO. Graeme and I had to be on exactly the same page.”
Signs of cracks in the relationship became evident during the Test series against England, particularly after South Africa were beaten in Durban.
“We need to be quite precise in terms of the things we need to improve on in terms of training sessions and coaching,” Smith said at the time.
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
Taiwanese sprinter Chen Yi-cen on Friday won the silver medal in the women’s 400m final at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, with a time of 53.16 seconds. Chen, 15, was the youngest among the eight finalists, and her performance also met the qualifying standard of 53.50 seconds for the Nagoya Asian Games in Japan in September and October. Chen first made her mark at the National Games in Tainan in 2023, at the age of 13, winning the women’s 400m final in 55.55 seconds to become the youngest gold medalist in the history of the event. Meanwhile,
RSS