Jonty Rhodes Has Signed Up As Head Coach Of The Sweden National Side:
Jonty Rhodes has signed up as head coach of the national Swedish team. According to a statement by the Swedish Cricket Federation, this move is part of the board ‘s broader plans to invest in junior cricket and high performance in the region. The statement also said, “Cricket is Sweden’s second fastest growing sport with a 300 per cent rise in participation in the last two years.”
“I’m very excited to move to Sweden with my family and work with the Swedish Cricket community. This opportunity has come at a perfect time and I’m really thankful to be able to invest my resources in a completely new climate. I can’t wait to get started,” Rhodes said to swedishcricket.org.
Rhodes, currently serving as Kings XI Punjab ‘s field coach at the IPL in the UAE, will join his new side in November and will be based in Stockholm. “Our development goals and key areas are oriented towards junior cricket and high performance. Jonty will play a crucial role in growing our players as well as helping to ensure the quality coaching system for the future survival of the game,” said Benn Harradine, Sports Director of the Swedish Cricket Federation. “I’m very happy to have him as part of our small and enthusiastic team.”
Rhodes’ move means that, for now, he ‘s lost to the cricket board of his own country at a time when CSA has recruited a wide range of coaches across national structures.
Recently, he expressed his concern about the increasing administrative instability in South Africa, a factor he felt was responsible for the results that the national team achieved in the field. “The same mistakes are made and there is not much transparency. It saddens me, “Rhodes said to a leading sports website.” It has an impact on field performance. Even though we have some fantastic players, there was a lack of consistency in results due to inconsistency outside the field.
He was also outspoken about racial problems that continue to plague his country, pointing out the difficulties faced by black children as they grew up in South Africa. “This white privilege continues to grow and last generation after generation, making it impossible for young black children in a poor community to have a better life than their parents simply because of lack of facilities,” he said. “People keep asking me about white privileges, and I keep on saying that I grew up in a regime that was totally built to make sure I had the best opportunity.
“So, there is racial disparity, some people call it bigotry, and there must be a fair playing field.”
