Malibongwe Maketa named national cricket team assistant coach

Dhaka, 2 Oct -The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has appointed Malibongwe Maketa as assistant coach of the Bangladesh national men's cricket team today for the coming two years.

Maketa's tenure will run till November 2028. He will join the national coaching setup in the UAE.

The 46-year old South African brings comprehensive experience across domestic, international and high-performance cricket in South Africa, the BCB said in a press release today.

"A Cricket South Africa (CSA) Level 4-qualified coach, Maketa has more than two decades of coaching experience. His previous roles include Assistant Coach of the South Africa Men's National Team, South Africa A Head Coach, South Africa U19 Head Coach, National Academy Head Coach and Warriors 

Franchise Head Coach," the press release stated.

During his tenure as Assistant Coach of the South African national team from 2017 to 2019, Maketa was involved in the preparation of the Proteas for international competition and was part of the coaching staff at the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup in England. 

He also worked on several successful bilateral campaigns, including South Africa's Test series victories against Australia and India and series wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Maketa has extensive experience in developing emerging players, having led South Africa A and South Africa U19 teams, while his work with the South African National Academy focused on preparing players for the demands of international cricket. He has also coached across all formats at franchise and provincial level.

"I am pleased to accept the position of Assistant Coach with the Bangladesh National Team. I am truly grateful for the trust and confidence placed in me by the Bangladesh Cricket Board, and I look forward to contributing positively to the team's success," Maketa said, commenting on his appointment.

"We have a young and exciting team, and I am looking forward to working alongside Phil and the rest of the coaching staff to help bring out the best in the players and support their continued development.

"Thank you once again for the opportunity. I am excited to begin this journey and contribute to the Bangladesh National Team."

Maketa has most recently served as Head Coach of the South Africa U19 team and Head Coach of the National Academy, alongside previous assignments with South Africa A. 

He led South Africa Emerging to the CSA One-Day Cup Division 2 title in 2023-24 and previously guided South Africa U19 to the ICC U19 World Cup semi-finals.BSS