New Delhi, June 9 (IANS) Former South Africa white-ball skipper Johan Botha has brought his stint with Queensland and Brisbane Heat to an early end after stepping down from both coaching positions despite having one season remaining on his contract.

Queensland Cricket said on Tuesday that they had accepted Botha’s resignation, ending a two-year association in which he oversaw the state’s Sheffield Shield, One-Day Cup and Big Bash League campaigns.

“Queensland Cricket has today accepted the resignation of Brisbane Heat and Queensland Bulls coach Johan Botha,” a statement released by QC read.

The departure comes amid a period of significant change within the Australian domestic cricket coaching ranks and follows growing speculation about Botha’s future, despite Queensland remaining competitive across formats.

The 44-year-old, who represented South Africa in five Tests, 78 One-Day Internationals and 40 T20 Internationals between 2005 and 2012, took charge of Queensland ahead of the 2024-25 season. Under his leadership, the Bulls reached the Sheffield Shield final in his debut campaign before finishing third in both the Shield and One-Day Cup competitions this past season.

His tenure with Brisbane Heat, however, produced mixed results. The franchise placed fifth and seventh in consecutive Big Bash League seasons after inheriting a title-winning squad that had lifted the trophy under previous coach Wade Seccombe.

Queensland Cricket chief executive Terry Svenson acknowledged Botha’s contribution to the organisation, particularly in nurturing emerging talent within the state system.

“While we haven’t achieved all of our on-field goals in that time, Johan has made a strong contribution towards the development of the next generation of Queensland and Brisbane Heat players. Despite this decision, Johan’s contributions to our high performance group have been valued. We wish he and his family every success in the future and thank him for his efforts across the Sheffield Shield, One Day Cup and BBL competitions,” Svenson said.

Botha’s departure is the latest development in an eventful period for Queensland Cricket’s high-performance structure. He had been part of a major departmental overhaul following Joe Dawes’ appointment as high-performance manager in late 2023. However, Dawes’ tenure ended earlier this year after a turbulent spell that included a highly publicised disagreement with Australian batter Usman Khawaja, prompting the return of former high-performance boss Bennett King.

Attention will now turn to identifying Botha’s successor, with former Australia Test captain Tim Paine among the names reportedly under consideration.

The coaching vacancy also adds to a growing list of leadership changes across Australia’s domestic landscape. New South Wales and Sydney Sixers recently moved on from Greg Shipperd before appointing Brad Haddin and James Hopes respectively, while Sydney Thunder replaced Trevor Bayliss with former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.

–IANS

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