Johan Botha tipped to be Amazon Warriors new Head Coach

By Akeem Greene

Former South African captain and all-rounder Johan Botha is set to be announced as the new Head Coach of the Guyana Amazon Warriors for the sixth edition of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Usually reliable sources told News Room Sport on Thursday night that Botha will take up the new role, replacing Roger Harper.

Rayon Griffith, who is the Windies A and Guyana Jaguars Assistant Coach/Manager, will replace his senior in the Jaguars camp, Esuan Crandon, as Assistant Coach of the Warriors.

The 36-year-old Botha was a part of Islamabad United’s support staff as fielding coach in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and as recent as January 2018, he played for the Sydney Sixers in Australia’s Big Bash T20 League.

In an interview with News Room Sport on Tuesday (June 19) Warriors’ Operation Manager, Omar Khan, did not disclosed who the coaching staff or the captain for the Warriors will be, but stated they will make an announcement before the end of the week.

The change up in management comes as a result of the Warriors continually reaching the knockout stages and not being able win the title in six years. Since the league’s inception in 2013, Warriors have made it to three finals, finishing second best on all three occasions.

Harper, a former West Indies player, coached Warriors for the first two editions until he was replaced in 2015 by fellow Guyanese Carl Hooper. In 2016, he was reunited with the team and brought Crandon, a four-time winning coach with the Jaguars at the Four-day level, as his assistant.