Patrick Moroney Appointed as New Selector for South Africa's Men's Cricket Team

New Leadership in South African Cricket Selection

Johannesburg, South Africa - July 17: Cricket South Africa (CSA) has officially named Patrick Moroney as the new convenor selector for the men's senior national cricket team. Moroney will take on his new responsibilities starting August 1, with his initial task being the white-ball tour of Australia, which kicks off on August 10, according to reports from a sports news outlet.

With over 20 years of experience in cricket selection since 2001, Moroney has a rich background in the sport. He has previously worked with the South African National Academy and emerging teams, and he was part of the selection panel alongside former convenor Victor Mpitsang. In 2019, he was a strong candidate for the top selector position but ultimately served on Mpitsang's panel.

Recently, Moroney played a key role in selecting the South Africa Under-19 men's team, which included the squad for last year's U-19 World Cup, featuring promising players like Kwena Maphaka and Lhuan-dre Pretorius.

Enoch Nkwe, the director of national teams and High Performance, expressed confidence in Moroney's appointment, stating, "His extensive knowledge of the game and years of experience in identifying and selecting talent at various levels make him the perfect fit for this role," as reported by a sports news outlet.

This marks the first time head coach Shukri Conrad will collaborate with a selection convener since he took over in January 2023. Conrad has made some bold choices in Test cricket, including promoting Wiaan Mulder to the No. 3 batting position, a move that has paid off as Mulder now holds South Africa's highest individual Test score. Meanwhile, Rob Walter, responsible for white-ball selections, faced scrutiny for his squad choices, particularly for including only one black African player in last year's T20 World Cup, despite South Africa reaching the final.

It has been reported that the CSA board advocated for the reinstatement of a convenor of selectors, albeit not a full selection panel. Conrad was appointed as the all-format coach in May, and Nkwe clarified that the intention behind reintroducing a selector was to provide additional support to a coach with a demanding schedule.

"We needed to assess and identify areas where we could support the coach," Nkwe stated, as quoted by a sports news outlet. "We require more eyes on the ground while the coach focuses on performance," he added.

Conrad welcomed the idea of having a convenor, expressing hope that the individual would share a similar vision and prioritize the interests of South African cricket and the Proteas.

From 2019 to 2023, Moroney and Mpitsang were part of the selection panel during Mark Boucher's coaching era. One of the most controversial decisions made by that panel occurred during the 2022 England tour, where they opted to include a spinner for the second Test at Old Trafford after winning the first Test at Lord's, despite the pitch favoring seamers. This decision led to a loss in both the match and the series. However, the same panel also discovered future stars like Marco Jansen, who has since become a vital player across all formats.

Moroney's return is anticipated to bring stability and a renewed emphasis on South Africa's talent development as they prepare for an important international season.