'I'll apply for job if players want me' - Jennings

Ray Jennings, whose position as South African coach has come under threat after poor performances, has said that he will reapply for the job if the players want him to stay. He said that his presence had made a difference, for the side had become mentally tougher. He was confident that the selectors would review his work before his contract ends after South Africa return from touring the West Indies.

"There's definitely a greater mental toughness," Jennings told iAfrica.com. "As far as fielding is concerned, we're becoming one of the best fielding sides in the world. The guys have worked hard and it's starting to show. I like to believe that the powers-that-be will have a look at what I've done."

Jennings's appointment prompted mixed reactions, for his tough approach and emphasis on discipline won him admirers and critics alike. But his first assignment, a two-Test tour of India, ended satisfyingly. His team drew the first Test and lost the second on a turning track. South Africa then lost a Test series to England at home, but currently lead the seven-match ODI series 2-1 after four games.

For critics of South Africa's selection policies - in which the coach and captain have little say - Jennings's comments came as a boost to their observation that the team should not be picked entirely by the selectors. "If it's just results [that the selectors desire], maybe they should just have left the selection to me, like a football manager. But if I can walk away from my job knowing that I've had an impact on the players' lives and an impact on their thought processes and their mental toughness, then I'll be happy."

Known for his plain speaking, Jennings said that his approach was a straightforward one. "I believe I've got a formula that's worked in my life, in business as well as in sport, [that] I'm sincere and honest, [that] I do a good day's work. I've felt from early on that the players bought into my thought patterns. It's all part of a building process. If you come hard too quickly you'll find the players will resist. It's an ongoing culture.

"It's not about bringing new information to the side, it's about getting the players to understand that it's all about respect and working as a unit. I'll talk to the players, and if they want to follow me, I'll apply for the job."

Jennings said that his relationship with Graeme Smith was challenging for both of them, and that it kept them thinking. "He's young and exciting. He's got different ways, but I'm very happy to work with a man who is passionate about what he wants to achieve, and who works as hard as he does. I do challenge him, and he challenges me. I think that hardness from him to me, and from me to him is important. If no one's hard on me, I stop thinking, and the same goes for him."