Bangladesh appoint South African coach Malibongwe Maketa

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has appointed South African Malibongwe Maketa as the assistant coach of the national men's cricket team, bringing an experienced coach with a strong background in international and player development programmes into the Tigers' setup.

Maketa, 46, has signed a contract running from October 2026 until November 2028. He will join the Bangladesh coaching staff in the United Arab Emirates, where the team is preparing for a one-off Test against Afghanistan followed by an ODI tri-series involving Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.

Maketa brings more than two decades of coaching experience in South Africa. He previously worked as an assistant coach with the South African national team between 2017 and 2019 and was part of the Proteas' coaching staff at the 2019 World Cup in England.


His international experience also includes South Africa's successful Test campaigns against Australia and India, as well as bilateral victories against Sri Lanka and Pakistan during that period.

The South African has also spent considerable time working with younger players. He has served as head coach of South Africa A and South Africa Under-19, as well as head coach of the country's National Academy. His previous assignments also include the Warriors franchise.

Maketa most recently worked with South Africa's Under-19 side and National Academy. He also guided South Africa Emerging to the CSA One-Day Cup Division 2 title in the 2023-24 season, while his South Africa Under-19 side reached the semi-finals of the ICC Under-19 World Cup.

A Cricket South Africa Level 4-qualified coach, Maketa said he was looking forward to working with Bangladesh's young squad and the rest of the coaching staff.

His appointment adds another layer of experience to the Bangladesh setup at a busy period, with the Afghanistan Test and UAE ODI tri-series coming before Bangladesh's two-Test home series against the West Indies and a tour of South Africa later in the year.