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After two years at the helm, former Proteas left-arm unorthodox spin bowler Paul Adams is not likely to be Iinyathi's head coach for the 2023/2024 domestic season.
According to sources, a letter has been sent, that is signed by Border Cricket acting CEO John Korkie, addressed to Adams, saying that the 46-year-old’s tenure at Border is set to end in April.
“The board will not be renewing your contract that ends on 30 April 2023,” the letter stated.
Former Knights wicketkeeper and an assistant to Adams, Tumelo Bodibe is believed to be next in line for the hot seat according to sources at Border.
Adams is linked to possible moves to the CSA Division 2 teams Easterns, Boland and Limpopo Impalas.
Adams played 45 Tests and 24 ODIs for SA.
He took the coaching job at Border in 2021 following a stint as head coach for the Cape Cobras.
When he took the reins, Border was at its lowest after the side was dismissed for a South African first-class record-equalling 16 runs in their second innings.
They crashed to an innings and 179-run defeat at the hands of KwaZulu-Natal Coastal in their CSA 3-Day Provincial match in Paarl.
He told the Dispatch last week that he was encouraged by the team’s performance in 2022/2023 compared to when he came in 2021 and pointed to a number of improvements.
“We were better than last year.”
In the 2022/2023 season, the Buffalos ended the CSA Four-Day Series in fourth place with a creditable 96.06 points, third on the One-Day log (16 points) and reached the semifinals of the CSA Provincial Cup.
This was a better showing than 2021/2022, when they finished fifth in the One-Day Cup, with nine points, and closed off the Four-Day Series in fourth place, but with fewer points (84.22) than this season.
The source also revealed that Iinyathi had lost the services of batsman Josh van Heerden to the Titans and fast bowler Gideon Peters to Northwest in division one.
Asked about the players leaving Border, Korkie said: “Players are free to be signed by other provinces, especial those who get better contracts.
“Those who left, went to division one and that is career advancement for them and a positive story.
“It is not about players leaving; it is about players’ contracts coming to an end.
“They decide what they want to do with their careers, not us.”
Van Heerden was standout player for Iinyathi last season in the white ball formats.
He was named top scorer in the CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge Division Two with 524 runs (an average of 262), scoring three centuries and two fifties in six matches.
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