Patrick Moroney Appointed South Africa’s New Convenor Selector for Men’s Team

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has appointed Patrick Moroney as the new convenor selector for the senior men’s national team. Moroney, who has been involved in South African cricket selection since 2001, will officially assume the role on August 1. His first assignment will be overseeing squad selection for South Africa’s upcoming white-ball tour of Australia, starting August 10.

Moroney replaces the previous selection structure that was disbanded in early 2023 when CSA handed full squad selection duties to the national coaches. His appointment marks a return to having a dedicated selector at the top, albeit without reinstating the full selection panel that previously existed.

Most recently, Moroney served as convenor selector for South Africa’s Under-19 men’s side, including for last year’s U-19 World Cup, where he played a role in identifying talents like Kwena Maphaka and Lhuan-dre Pretorius. His decades-long involvement with the South African National Academy, emerging teams, and past senior selection committees makes him a seasoned figure in player identification and development.

“His deep understanding of the game, combined with decades of experience in talent identification and selection across various levels, makes him the ideal person for the job,” said Enoch Nkwe, CSA’s Director of National Teams and High Performance, in a statement.

Moroney was previously on the senior selection panel chaired by Victor Mpitsang between 2019 and 2023, and was a contender for the convenor role back in 2019 before Mpitsang was chosen. Though he didn’t get the top job at the time, he remained part of the selection setup.

His return as convenor comes at a significant moment. With Shukri Conrad recently appointed as South Africa’s all-format head coach, CSA felt it necessary to offer additional support, especially with the dual demands of managing performance and selection.

"We needed to review, and look at areas in terms of where we can actually support the coach," Nkwe explained. “We need to have more eyes on the ground as the coach is going to be focusing on performance.”

Conrad, who previously managed Test team selection solo, welcomed the decision and expressed his hope to work with someone who shares a vision for South African cricket. “I hope that person would be a like-minded person, and that has got South African cricket and the Proteas at heart,” he said earlier.

Moroney’s tenure alongside Mpitsang saw both highs and lows. Notable during that period was the selection of Marco Jansen, who has since become a mainstay in all formats for South Africa. However, the panel also faced criticism for controversial decisions, including altering a winning XI during the 2022 England Test tour — a move that contributed to a series defeat.

This new chapter will be the first time Conrad, since his 2023 appointment, works directly with a selection convenor. His white-ball counterpart, Rob Walter, has also come under scrutiny during his tenure, most notably for taking a squad with only one black African player to the 2024 T20 World Cup — a tournament where South Africa ended as runners-up.

Moroney’s return is seen as a stabilising move as South Africa enters a critical phase of transition under new leadership, with key tours and ICC events on the horizon.

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