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August 5, 2024
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter, has signed with the Pretoria Capitals for the SA20 2025 season. This will be his first experience in the South African league. Gurbaz will reunite with Jonathan Trott, who coached Afghanistan to their first-ever World Cup semi-final earlier this year. Trott has also recently been appointed as the Capitals’ new head coach, replacing Graham Ford, who stepped down last month.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, a 22-year-old Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter, is set to debut in the SA20 league with the Pretoria Capitals. Already experienced in T20 leagues worldwide, Gurbaz plays for the Bangla Tigers Mississauga in the Global T20 Canada. While this will be his first appearance in SA20, he has previously played for the Capitals’ franchise in the ILT20 in Dubai, where he scored 146 runs in eight innings. He also has IPL experience, having won the title with Kolkata Knight Riders earlier this year.
Gurbaz’s recent T20I form is impressive; he was the top run-scorer in the 2024 T20 World Cup with 281 runs. Joining a strong Pretoria Capitals squad, Gurbaz will play alongside established players like Wayne Parnell, Will Jacks, Rilee Rossouw, Jimmy Neesham, Anrich Nortje, and fellow newcomer Ollie Pope.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has appointed former South Africa cricketers Imraan Khan and Paul Adams to key coaching roles. Imran Khan, who earned a Test cap in 2009 and has coached the Dolphins for five years, has been named the new batting lead. Currently working with the South African Test team in the West Indies under red-ball coach Shukri Conrad, Khan stepped in as the batting coach for this tour, replacing Ashwell Prince, who was unavailable due to personal reasons. Khan will now take on a broader role at CSA.
Also, former left-arm wrist spinner Paul Adams has been appointed the new bowling lead. Adams, 47, who played 45 Tests and 24 ODIs for South Africa, has been the spin-bowling coach for the South Africa Under-19 and Emerging men’s teams since 2023. His experience includes stints with the South Africa A side and domestic coaching roles with Cape Cobras and, more recently, the Division 2 team Eastern Cape Iinyathi. Both appointments will take effect from September 1.
Imran Khan, a successful provincial coach in South Africa’s top tier, has led the Dolphins to multiple titles, including two four-day series championships in 2020/21 and 2022/23 and a shared one-day cup in 2020/21. His leadership also saw the Dolphins reach three CSA T20 Challenge finals. During his tenure, the Dolphins produced several national players, such as Sarel Erwee, Keegan Petersen, Ottneil Baartman, and Keshav Maharaj, who became capable leaders.
Imraan spent his 15-year professional career at the Durban-based union as a top-order batter. Known for his prowess in long-format cricket, he played 161 first-class matches, scoring 9,367 runs, including 20 centuries, and averaged 36.58. His only Test appearance was in 2009 against Australia, where he partnered with Ashwell Prince at the top of the order. Additionally, Imraan played in 121 List A matches and 51 T20s.
“I want to thank the KZN Cricket Union for all their support,” Imraan said, in a statement. “It’s been an incredible journey. I’ve loved starting my coaching career at the union that has been my home for many seasons. This is an exciting step in my path as a coach, but Kingsmead will always be home, and I will miss everyone here.”
The Dolphins have yet to announce who will replace Imran Khan as head coach. The domestic season is set to begin with the T20 competition in late September.