Central Stags Head Coach ROB WALTER will step down from his role at the end of the team’s Ford Trophy campaign this season, following Walter’s appointment as South Africa’s new white-ball Head Coach.

All the team at Central Districts Cricket and the Central Stags congratulates Walter on his first full international Head Coach appointment, announced this evening by Cricket South Africa.

Last year Walter was appointed by NZC to lead the New Zealand A team on its preseason tour of India, and he previously served as the Protea’s strength and conditioning coach from 2009 to 2013 - doubling up as a fielding coach before his fulltime move into cricket coaching.

He coached the title-winning South African franchise the Titans as well as holding assistant coach roles with Indian Premier League sides the Pune Warriors and Delhi Daredevils prior to moving to New Zealand in 2016.

 

After his first five years in Aotearoa mentoring the Otago Volts, Walter headed north to take over the Central Stags in April 2021, and led the team to The Ford Trophy Grand Final last season as the country’s top qualifier.

The Stags are again in a strong position in all three formats this season, and Walter says it’s with bittersweet feelings that he will farewell the side following the Stags’ last white-ball match this summer.

That will be either at the end of the regular season or after The Ford Trophy finals, pending the high-flying team’s results in the back end of their one-day campaign.

Before then, he would dearly love to add a Dream11 Super Smash trophy to the CV with the Stags who are currently at the top of the T20 table at the business end of the campaign.

 

Said Walter, “It is somewhat of a bittersweet time for me. I have loved my time with the Stags. The staff and players have been awesome to work with and have treated myself and my family amazingly well!

“However, on the other side is an opportunity to work on the international stage which in many ways is a dream come true for me. 

"I will miss the people of the CD region, but I hope that our paths will cross again in the future, but we will save our goodbyes for later. For now we have three trophies to contest.”

Central Districts CEO Lance Hamilton said Walter would be missed not only for the positive impact he had made in his coaching role at CDCA, but as a much liked and respected member of the CD family.

“Rob has had a huge impact on both players and staff alike since arriving from Otago before the start of last season.

“He is going to be sorely missed by both groups.

"In saying this, we’re really pleased to see that the skill set Rob brings on a daily basis has been recognised at international level, and we are really excited to see what the future holds for him and his family with this next adventure.”

CDCA will appoint an interim head coach in the coming weeks to guide the Stags through their four remaining first-class Plunket Shield matches that will complete this season, before putting out a call for applicants during the 2023 off-season for a new Central Stags Head Coach.

Article added: Monday 16 January 2023