Maketa to oversee Bangladesh fielding on South Africa tour, Benkenstein joins as batting specialist

South Africa will host Bangladesh across two Tests, three T20Is and three ODIs, with the touring party set to fly out on November 10 or 11, 2026. Assistant coach Malibongwe Maketa has been confirmed to manage the fielding unit throughout the assignment, while Dale Benkenstein joins the setup as a batting specialist covering all three formats.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board confirmed both arrangements ahead of the squad's departure.

"Our assistant coach Maketa will oversee our fielding during the tour of South Africa," a BCB official was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

"Ashiqur will join the Bangladesh A team preparing for the Rising Stars Emerging Cup in Qatar," the official added.

Maketa, a South African all-rounder by background, holds a Level 4 CSA coaching qualification and brings close to two decades of experience to the role. He was appointed Bangladesh's assistant coach on a two-year contract in October 2026, a tenure that runs through to November 2028. The first Test of the tour begins at Johannesburg on November 15, 2026, and the second at Centurion on November 23, 2026.

Why is Maketa handling fielding instead of the designated fielding coach?

James Pamment had been filling the fielding coach role for Bangladesh but was ruled out of the South Africa tour because of back pain. The BCB and Pamment subsequently parted ways by mutual agreement, leaving the position vacant for this assignment.

Meanwhile, Ashiqur Rahman, who had been part of the Bangladesh coaching structure, will not travel to South Africa with the senior side. With Pamment unavailable and Ashiqur redirected to the A programme, Maketa became the natural choice to absorb the fielding brief alongside his existing assistant coach duties. His Level 4 CSA background and familiarity with South African conditions made the transition straightforward for the board.

What led to Benkenstein's appointment and what is the batting coach situation?

Mohammad Ashraful had been included in the Bangladesh coaching structure as a batting coach before being removed from that permanent role. Mohammad Salahuddin was subsequently brought in to replace Ashraful, having recently returned from heading the High Performance Unit during the home series against West Indies. However, the BCB has since released Salahuddin from the senior team position so he can concentrate on his High Performance Unit responsibilities, where he works with Bangladesh A players ahead of the Rising Stars Emerging Cup.

Because no permanent batting coach is currently in place, the BCB brought Benkenstein in as a tour-specific batting specialist to cover the T20I, ODI and Test legs of the series in South Africa. The board's decision to release Salahuddin back to the High Performance Unit reflects its intent to keep the A-team programme running in parallel with the senior side's commitments at Johannesburg and Centurion. A permanent appointment to the batting coach role has not yet been announced.