Prince appointed Cobras assistant coach

Ashwell Prince's coaching career will begin at Cape Cobras, where he has signed on as the franchise's assistant coach. Prince, who stepped down from the national selection panel, will work with former internationals Paul Adams, head coach of the Cobras since the 2012-13 season, and Alan Dawson , the new convener of selectors.

On Monday, ESPNcricinfo reported that Prince had handed in his resignation from the national selection panel before South Africa A's tour of Australia last month in order to travel as a batting consultant. On his return, Prince committed himself to coaching and will now team up with Adams.

The 2015-16 summer was the first time in eight seasons that the Cobras did not win a trophy. They finished fourth in the first-class competition, losing finalists in the fifty-over cup and third in the twenty-over tournament. Justin Kemp was unavailable through injury for the bulk of the season and has since retired, while Robin Peterson was sidelined and has now relocated to the Knights.

Despite the dearth of experience, the Cobras can still call on Justin Ontong, Dane Vilas and Rory Kleinveldt. Prince sees his first task as working with those players to re-create team culture. "The senior veterans in the Cape Cobras team have been around the block and they know what is required to achieve success. The most important characteristic is the motivation to produce the goods," Prince said. "I would like us as a team to play for one another and to work as a strong unit. It is a game of small margins, and when it is tight, the scales will tilt in the direction of the team with a strong cohesion.