Maketa to oversee Bangladesh's fielding unit on SA tour; Benkenstein joins as batting specialist
Maketa, who was recently appointed as assistant coach, will take over the fielding responsibility from interim fielding coach Ashiqur Rahman
Bangladesh's newly appointed assistant coach Malibongwe Maketa will oversee the team's fielding unit during the upcoming tour of South Africa, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed on Monday.
Maketa, who was recently appointed to the coaching staff, will take over the responsibility from interim fielding coach Ashiqur Rahman. Ashiqur had joined the national setup during the Pakistan tour after James Pamment was ruled out due to back pain. The BCB and Pamment subsequently parted ways by mutual agreement.
“Our assistant coach Maketa will oversee our fielding during the tour of South Africa,” a BCB official confirmed to Cricbuzz on Monday.
“Ashiqur will join the Bangladesh A team preparing for the Rising Stars Emerging Cup in Qatar,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh are yet to appoint a permanent batting coach following the removal of Mohammad Ashraful from the position. The BCB has decided to include Ashraful in the Bangladesh A team's coaching setup.
Mohammad Salahuddin, who replaced Ashraful for the recent home series against West Indies, will return to the High Performance Unit as head coach, a position he held before joining the national team on an interim basis.
It is understood that the BCB is looking to appoint a batting coach ahead of the South Africa series. The decision to release Salahuddin from national duties will also allow him to focus on the players in the High Performance Unit.
Bangladesh are scheduled to leave for South Africa on November 10 and 11, with the first Test beginning in Johannesburg on November 15. The second Test will be played in Centurion from November 23, followed by three ODIs and three T20Is.
