Russell Domingo

It took no time for him to realize that cricket was not his cup of tea. Russell Domingo played a bit of B team cricket, but soon gave up the idea of pursuing a career in professional cricket. Instead, he went on to become one of the most efficient domestic coaches in South Africa's cricketing arena.

With a degree in sports administration and marketing, Domingo took the tougher route and was appointed youth coach at the Eastern Province at the age of 25. Starting with age group level, he steadily rose through the ranks right from the U13 to U19 before he took over as the B team coach. He also coached the South African U19 team during the 2004 World Cup held in Bangladesh and has had a few stints with the South African A side. However, Domingo's true moment of glory came in 2005, when he was named the head coach of Warriors, following Mickey Arthur's appointment as the national coach. He transformed the struggling Warriors from no-hopers to winners. With his planning and work ethics, Domingo established a goal for his franchise, that after three years of him taking over, the team would win a trophy. What followed was exactly the same, in fact more - the 2009-10 season saw the Warriors winning both, the T20 as well as limited-overs title. His achievements are all the more special, not only because he predicted them, but also due to his credibility as a non-player. Domingo has earned great respect and admiration in the Warriors dressing room.

Very few know that it was Domingo who offered Gary Kirsten his first coaching assignment, which came with Warriors in 2006, the year Kirsten retired from international cricket. The circle was complete for Domingo, when in 2011; Kirsten, head coach of the South African national team, offered him the position of his assistant coach. He went on to become the coach of South Africa in 2012 for T20Is and eventually, the head coach of South Africa across all the formats, owing to Gary Kirsten's retirement in May, 2013.