Patrick Moroney has been named the new convenor of selectors for South Africa’s men’s cricket team. He will officially begin his job on August 1. His first assignment will be South Africa’s white-ball tour of Australia, starting on August 10.
Moroney has worked in South African cricket since 2001. He has helped select players for the National Academy and emerging teams. He was also part of the selection panel in the past. In 2019, he was considered for the top selector role but lost to Victor Mpitsang. He later worked with Mpitsang.
Recently, Moroney was the convenor of selectors for the South Africa Under-19 team. He helped choose players like Kwena Maphaka and Lhuan-dre Pretorius for the 2024 Under-19 World Cup.
Patrick Moroney Receives Strong Backing from CSA Officials
Enoch Nkwe, the director of national teams and High Performance, praised Moroney’s experience. “He understands the game deeply and has been great at spotting talent,” said Nkwe.
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This is a major change in how players are selected. Since early 2023, the national coaches were picking teams alone. Shukri Conrad, who became head coach in January 2023, had no selection panel. Rob Walter, the white-ball coach, also picked squads on his own.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has now decided to bring back a convenor of selectors. There will not be a full panel, but Moroney will help the coach manage his workload. “We need more eyes watching players,” Nkwe explained.
Conrad said he is happy to have support. He hopes Moroney will be someone who cares deeply about South African cricket.
Moroney and Mpitsang had earlier made bold decisions. They picked Marco Jansen, now a key player. But they also made some debatable calls, like playing a spinner on a seamer-friendly pitch in England in 2022, which led to a series loss. Moroney now gets another chance to shape the Proteas’ future.
