Sports Correspondent //

South Africa’s Malibongwe Maketa has been appointed as the new assistant coach of the Bangladesh national cricket team. The 46-year-old coach has signed a contract with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) spanning from October 2026 to November 2028. He will join the team’s coaching staff in the United Arab Emirates.

Maketa brings over two decades of coaching experience in South African cricket. A Cricket South Africa (CSA) Level-4 certified coach, he has worked with the national team, South Africa ‘A’, the Under-19 team, the national academy, as well as at domestic franchise and provincial levels.

Maketa served as the assistant coach of the South African national team from 2017 to 2019. He was also part of the Proteas’ coaching staff during the 2019 ODI World Cup. During that period, he contributed to the coaching staff during South Africa’s Test series victories against Australia and India, as well as series wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

He has served as the head coach for both South Africa ‘A’ and the Under-19 team. Most recently, Maketa held the roles of head coach for the South Africa Under-19 team and the national academy.

Expressing his excitement about joining the Bangladesh team, Maketa said, “I am delighted to take on the role of assistant coach for the Bangladesh national team. I am grateful for the trust and confidence the Bangladesh Cricket Board has placed in me. I look forward to making a positive contribution to the team’s success.”

Maketa added, “Our team is young and full of potential. I want to work alongside Phil Simmons and the other members of the coaching staff to bring out the best in the players and help them improve.”

Recently, Maketa led the South Africa Emerging team to the CSA One-Day Cup Division-2 title in the 2023-24 season. He also guided the South Africa Under-19 team to the World Cup semi-finals.

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