Rob Walter steps down as South Africa’s white-ball coach

Rob Walter has resigned as South Africa's white-ball coach.

The next ODI World Cup will be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October and November 2027.

Walter, who took up his four-year contract in March 2023, was central to CSA's planning for the tournament.

CSA cited personal reasons for Walter's decision, which will take effect at the end of April.

Walter is the only coach to take South Africa to the final of a men's World Cup; the 2024 T20 version in Barbados, where they lost to India by seven runs.

He also guided them to the 2023 World Cup semifinal, and to the Champions Trophy semis in Pakistan in March.

His bilateral record isn't as impressive. South Africa won three of their seven ODI rubbers under Walter and drew another. But they lost a series to Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates in September 2024, and suffered their only whitewash in their 56 home series in the format when Pakistan beat them 3-0 in December. Walter presided over just one success in his eight T20 rubbers in charge, one of them drawn.

In overall terms, South Africa won 19 of their 36 ODIs under Walter and 14 of their 31 T20Is. That translates into winning percentages of 52.78 and 45.16.

Walter's defence was that, because of his star players' commitments to franchise leagues, he was able to field full-strength XIs only in ICC events. That meant he had to spread the selectorial net wide.

Accordingly, 14 players were given ODI debuts by Walter, among them Gerald Coetzee, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs and Kwena Maphaka. Dewald Brevis, Coetzee, Rickelton and Maphaka were among the 13 who earned their first T20I caps under Walter.

CSA will surely want a permanent appointee in place for the ODI and T20 series in Australia in August and a similar visit to England in September.