Who should be the front-runners for Proteas white-ball coach?

We highlight some possible replacements for the Proteas white-ball teams after the resignation of Rob Walter.

The decision would be based on whether the role of head coach will remain split or whether CSA will decide to appoint one coach for all three formats. If it’s the latter, then the choice is obvious: Shukri Conrad would take over all formats.

If the roles will remain split, then these are some of the options we think are viable for the role:

Adrian Birrell

Eastern Province Head Coach (1999–2002): Birrell began his coaching career leading Eastern Province, laying the foundation for his future successes.
Ireland National Team Coach (2002–2007): Led Ireland to the Super Eight stage in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, with notable victories over Pakistan and Bangladesh.  
England Under-19 Head Coach (2010): Birrell served as the head coach for England’s Under-19 team, contributing to the development of young talents.
South Africa Assistant Coach: Served as assistant coach for the South African national team under Russell Domingo from 2013 to 2017
Hampshire County Cricket Club Manager (2018–present): Appointed as the first-team manager, bringing his extensive coaching experience to the English county side.  
Paarl Rocks Head Coach (2018): Birrell led the Paarl Rocks in the inaugural Mzansi Super League, guiding them to the knockout stages.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape Head Coach (2023–present): In the SA20 league, Birrell has been leading the Sunrisers Eastern Cape. He won the first two editions of the tournament. Despite a challenging start in the 2025 season, his leadership saw the team reach the finals, where they were runners-up to MI Cape Town.
Southern Brave Men’s Head Coach (2025–present): In January 2025, Birrell was appointed as the head coach of the Southern Brave men’s team in The Hundred, succeeding Stephen Fleming.

Shukri Conrad
Gauteng B Team Coach (1999–2000): He began his coaching career with Gauteng’s B team.  
Gauteng Senior Team Coach (2002–2004): In May 2002, he was appointed as the coach of the Gauteng senior team, known as the Highveld Strikers. Under his leadership, the team secured the Standard Bank Cup during the 2003–04 season.
Highveld Lions Coach (2004–2005): With the introduction of franchise cricket in the 2004–05 season, Conrad became the inaugural coach of the Highveld Lions.
Cape Cobras Head Coach: Led the team to three titles: the One-Day Cup (2006/07), the Pro20 title (2008/09), and the SuperSport Series (2009/10).  
Uganda National Team Coach (2010–2011): In October 2010, Conrad was appointed as the head coach of the Uganda national cricket team.
Cricket South Africa National Academy Head Coach (2014–2023): In April 2014, Conrad was named head coach of Cricket South Africa’s National Academy, focusing on developing emerging talent.
South Africa Under-19 Coach (2022) – Led team in the U19 World Cup
South Africa A Coach (2023): In April 2023, he took on the role of coach for the South Africa A team ahead of their tour to Sri Lanka.
Interim South Africa ODI Coach (2023): Before Rob Walter’s tenure began, Conrad briefly led the Proteas ODI team for a three-match series against England, which was crucial for the team’s qualification campaign for the 2023 World Cup.
South Africa Test Team Head Coach (2023–present): Appointed head coach in January 2023, leading the team to qualify for the World Test Championship Final.  
Wisden Cricket Coach of the Year (2025): Recognized for his coaching excellence in early 2025.  

Russell Domingo
Eastern Province Youth Coach (c. 1999–2004):
Domingo began his coaching career at the age of 25, working with various youth teams within the Eastern Province cricket structure.
South Africa Under-19 Head Coach (2004): He led the South African U-19 team during the 2004 Under-19 World Cup held in Bangladesh.
Warriors Franchise Head Coach (2005–2011): Domingo took charge of the Warriors, a South African domestic franchise, leading them to significant successes: 2009–10 Season: Secured both the domestic one-day and Twenty20 titles. 2010 Champions League Twenty20: Guided the team to the final, finishing as runners-up to the Chennai Super Kings.
South Africa A Team Coach (2010–2011): Appointed as coach for the South Africa A team during their tours to Bangladesh and hosting Bangladesh A in return series.
South Africa National Team Assistant Coach (2011–2012): Served as assistant to head coach Gary Kirsten, contributing to the team’s strategies and development.
South Africa Twenty20 International Coach (2012–2013): Took over as the head coach for South Africa’s T20I team in December 2012.
South Africa National Team Head Coach (2013–2017): Elevated to head coach for all formats in May 2013, Domingo led the Proteas through several campaigns, including semi-final appearances in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Bangladesh National Team Head Coach (2019–2022): Appointed in August 2019, he guided Bangladesh to notable achievements: January 2022: Secured Bangladesh’s first-ever Test victory over New Zealand in New Zealand. March 2022: Led the team to their inaugural ODI series win in South Africa.
Netherlands National Team Assistant Coach (2023): Joined the Netherlands team as an assistant coach for their tours to South Africa and Zimbabwe.
DP World Lions Head Coach (2023–2025): In the 2022–2023 season, the team secured two major titles: CSA T20 Challenge, CSA One-Day Cup. In the 2023-24 season, they won the CSA T20 Challenge and 4-Day Series title. In 2025, he won the CSA T20 Challenge title.
Lahore Qalandars Head Coach (March 2025–Present): Appointed as head coach of the Lahore Qalandars for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 season, succeeding Darren Gough.

Imraan Khan
Dolphins Head Coach (2019–2024): Secured two four-day series titles (2020/21, 2022/23), a shared One-Day Cup (2020/21), and led the team to three CSA T20 Challenge finals.
Cricket South Africa Batting Lead (2024–present): Appointed as the High Performance Batting Lead, effective September 1, 2024, overseeing batting development across national teams.

These coaches have significantly influenced cricket through their dedicated efforts and leadership in various capacities.

What needs to be taken into consideration is the coach’s knowledge of South African cricket and the players in the domestic system, as well as their achievements in the South African Domestic system.