4 instances when a coach had to come out to play for a team in a cricket match ft. Wandile Gwavu

The role of a coach is quite significant in a team sport like cricket. It is the coach's job to make the crucial decisions and run the team in such a way that all the individuals feel they have a common goal.

It is not unusual to see teams changing their coaches when results do not go in their favor. However, in the coach's defense, they can only make decisions off the field, and the players have to execute properly on it.

Normally, a coach watches cricket matches from the dressing room or the dugout, but here's a list of four coaches who had to come out and field for their team due to various reasons.

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#1 South Africa's fielding coach Wandile Gwavu

In a recent ODI tri-series match between South Africa and New Zealand in Pakistan, the Proteas' fielding coach, Wandile Gwavu, came out to field for the team in the 37th over of the Blackcaps' innings. South Africa only named a 12-man squad for the tri-series as their first-choice players were unavailable due to the SA20.

Hence, Gwavu was forced to come on as a substitute fielder when the team needed one.

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#2 South Africa's batting coach JP Duminy

Another South African name to feature on the list is JP Duminy. The former Proteas all-rounder had to come out to field for the team in a cricket match against Ireland in 2024.

Multiple South African players were down with fatigue and illness during that series against Ireland which took place in Abu Dhabi amid scorching heat. Thus, the team management had no option but to send out batting coach Duminy to field as a substitute.

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#3 Coach Dan Christian played 3 cricket matches for Sydney Thunder

Dan Christian joined the Sydney Thunder as an assistant coach for the 2024/25 edition of Big Bash League in Australia. Unfortunately, the Sydney-based team lost quite a few players due to injuries, which forced the assistant coach to come out of retirement at the age of 41.

Sydney Thunder added Christian to their squad as a replacement player, and the veteran all-rounder played three games. He ended up scoring a fantastic 15-ball 23 against the Brisbane Heat.

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#4 Assistant coach Jay Lenton played for Sydney Sixers in BBL

Before Sydney Thunder, the Sydney Sixers had been forced to field their assistant coach during a BBL cricket match. It was during the 2021/22 BBL season, when wicket-keeper Josh Philippe tested positive for COVID just before the knockout match against the Adelaide Strikers.

With no other replacements available, the Sixers had to field their assistant coach Jay Lenton.

"It's got a nice ring to it, the assistant coach who is playing! I found out at around 1 o'clock today. Everything went through the process," Lenton said.

Lenton also played in the subsequent BBL final against the Perth Scorchers, where he scored an unbeaten 10. Perth won that game by 79 runs.