Justin Ontong named head coach of Paarl Rocks
Justin Ontong, the previous South Africa batter and most not too long ago nationwide males’s staff fielding coach, has been named as the brand new coach of the Paarl Rocks provincial facet.
Ontong succeeds JP Duminy, who was in cost for a season and is now the South African males’s white-ball batting coach. This is Ontong’s first place as a head coach.
“I am honoured to be given this opportunity to lead the Rocks team. I have worked with several different teams and understand what it takes to build a winning team,” Ontong mentioned. “My focus will be to ensure that all the players are working towards the same goal and remain motivated.”
Ontong is the third Paarl Rocks head coach in as many seasons. Adrian Birrell headed up the province within the 2021-22 summer season, when the Paarl Rocks gained the T20 Challenge, earlier than Duminy received the job. Duminy was in cost within the 2022-23 season throughout which era he additionally held the place of Paarl Royals coach within the SA20. It will not be recognized whether or not he’ll proceed in that function within the coming season. Paarl are but so as to add to their sole trophy however have maintained their place within the top-tier of South Africa’s home construction.
CSA revamped the home cricket system three summers in the past through which they did away with the six franchises and launched two divisions, with eight groups in tier one and 7 in tier two, and a promotion-relegation system. The first actions from that got here after two full seasons, and noticed Bloemfontein’s Knights drop all the way down to division two, whereas the Pietermaritzburg-based Tuskers earned promotion. Paarl, who didn’t have its personal franchise within the earlier system, achieved a decent fourth-place end on the mixed log.
Paarl Rocks have confirmed themselves to be sturdy contenders in white-ball tournaments, however have solely gained one red-ball match within the new period, one thing they wish to change. “Having Justin Ontong on board as the head coach of the Rocks is an immense addition to our organisation,” James Fortuin, Paarl Rocks CEO, mentioned.
While Ontong is usually recognized for his white-ball numbers – he performed 42 white-ball internationals for South Africa – he was capped twice in Tests and completed his profession with a first-class common of 41.87 which makes him the perfect candidate to show Paarl’s red-ball type round.
When his taking part in days led to late 2017, Ontong moved straight into teaching. He was appointed South Africa’s fielding coach underneath Ottis Gibson within the 2017-8 season and remained in that function when Mark Boucher took over in December 2019. Boucher resigned the submit after final 12 months’s T20 World Cup and has been succeeded by Shukri Conrad in Tests and Rob Walter in ODIs and T20Is, every of who has their very own help workers. The white-ball fielding job has been given to Lions’ coach Wandile Gwavu.