Proteas captain AB de Villiers wants coach Russell Domingo to re-apply for the job when his contract expires in August.

Mickey Arthur has fond memories of coaching the Proteas. Steering the side to the No 1 ODI ranking in the world, as well as becoming the first South African coach to win a Test series Down Under, were just a couple of highlights throughout his stint.

Now he has to face his old employers with a struggling Pakistan side. They were soundly beaten by India, and the barrage of difficult questions that followed in the post-match conference left him perplexed as to how to fight back in time for the Proteas clash at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

His spell with the Proteas was a happier time, and AB de Villiers, who played throughout Arthur’s five-year tenure, was asked to compare Arthur and the incumbent Domingo at the pre-match press conference. There was no time for reminiscing for the skipper however, who was quick to praise the current coach.

‘They are different human beings, both really nice guys and I get along with both of them,’ De Villiers told the media. ‘We had a lot of success under Mickey Arthur and I have a lot of good memories of him, but that’s long gone now, that’s all in the past.’

‘We’re with a great coach at the moment who’s really leading the side well and we all get along with him and we all love him as our coach.’

Question marks hover over Domingo’s future after he was asked to re-apply for the job. With his contract running out at the end of the four-match Test series against England in August, Domingo arguably has the Champions Trophy and the Test series to prove that he still has what it takes to lead the side.

Domingo’s future is not up for debate according to De Villiers. When asked if he’d like to see him stay he had two words. ‘Yes. Definitely.’

Domingo clearly has the faith of the dressing room, and he should he decide to re-apply, it’s difficult to see the powers that be looking past that.

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