Bangladesh Appoint Malibongwe Maketa as Assistant Coach on Two-Year Contract

Bangladesh have appointed South African coach Malibongwe Maketa as their men's assistant coach on a two-year contract, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) looking ahead to two important tours against South Africa over the next 12 months.

Maketa will replace Mohammad Salahuddin and is expected to join the Bangladesh team in the UAE, where they will face Afghanistan in a one-off Test before taking part in an ODI tri-series involving Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.

Salahuddin has moved into a new role as head of the BCB's High Performance unit. He is, however, currently overseeing the Bangladesh team at the Asian Games, where they are scheduled to face Sri Lanka in the bronze-medal match on Saturday.

Maketa brings more than two decades of coaching experience to the Bangladesh setup. A Level 4-certified coach, he has held several positions within Cricket South Africa and has worked extensively across different levels of the game.

The 44-year-old served as South Africa's assistant coach from 2017 to 2019, including during the 2019 ODI World Cup. He was also part of the coaching staff during South Africa's Test series victories over Australia and India.

Maketa briefly served as South Africa's interim head coach during their 2022 tour of Australia. More recently, he was the head coach of South Africa's Under-19 side. His coaching experience also includes roles with South Africa A, the national academy and domestic teams across all three formats.

The BCB's decision to bring Maketa on board is understood to be closely linked to South Africa's upcoming tours of Bangladesh. South Africa are scheduled to visit Bangladesh for a full series of Tests, ODIs and T20Is from mid-November, while the two teams are also expected to meet at the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Speaking after his appointment, Maketa said he was grateful for the opportunity and eager to contribute to Bangladesh's development.

"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 added that he was looking forward to working with head coach Phil Simmons and the rest of the coaching staff to help develop Bangladesh's young squad.

Bangladesh's immediate assignment begins on October 9, when they take on Afghanistan in the one-off Test. The ODI tri-series involving Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe will then begin on October 17.