Coach Profile: Pieter Malan (Parel Vallei)
Parel Vallei High (PV) is a school whose sports programmes are going through a growth spurt. The latest evidence of their ambition is the recent appointment of Pieter Malan as a member of their First XI coaching staff.
The former Cape Cobras and Proteas’ Test batsman has previous experience of coaching at the school, but this is his first official role as a coach, albeit that it will be in a part-time capacity. Malan is still playing cricket professionally, so he is not yet ready to take on a full-time role.
When asked about his ambitions for the Somerset West outfit, Malan stated: “To help the Head of Cricket, Wihan Rocher, continue to build up Parel Vallei as a legitimate option for aspiring cricketers.
“I think they are a little bit of a sleeping giant with the amount of talent they have in the area.”
Malan has almost 20 years of experience as a professional player, but when chatting with SuperSport Schools Plus his focus was less on the technical aspects of coaching and more about how important the human aspects are.
He listed Adi Birrell as the coach who has most influenced his coaching style. The highly regarded Birrell has worked with a variety of teams in England and South Africa. Most notably, he served as the head coach for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape and led them to the SA20 title. He has also served as an assistant coach for the Proteas.
When asked about what he liked about Birrell, Malan answered: “He’s obviously got a lot of experience and his cricketing knowledge is immense, but the way he managed everyone was amazing. He really cared about all his players and that elevated everyone in the squad.”
Further expanding upon the importance of players’ support structures, Malan also credited his professional successes to the support he received at home. He described it: “Playing backyard cricket with my father and brothers. My parents always sat next to the field (during games). They supported us whether we got a hundred or a duck.”
Parel Vallei is a school whose cricket is progressing and they’re taking on increasingly tough opposition. That might result in some losses but as is the case in the classroom, it is about education, except in this instance that classroom is the cricket field.
As the players he coaches take on different challenges, Malan will aim to provide them with the same positive support that he was given as a youth, and which was the foundation for his love of the game and his success in it.
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