Donald left NZ before start of Wellington Test

Allan Donald, South Africa's bowling coach, left New Zealand before the start of the third Test in order to get time off in a busy year. Donald flew home on March 20, for what the team management has called "personal reasons" but no announcement was made to explain his departure.

"It was always the plan when we left South Africa that Allan would leave during the third Test. The request came through before we left South Africa," Mohammad Moosajee, the South Africa team manager, told ESPNCricinfo. "It's always our plan to be flexible with team management."

Donald is involved in a travel-heavy year, which includes an IPL stint in India, tours to England and Australia and the World Twenty20 in September. Donald will meet up with the national team for the one-off T20 against India in Johannesburg on March 30 before his time at the Pune Warriors franchise, where he is the bowling coach. South Africa travel to England for two months from July, to the World T20 in Sri Lanka in September and to Australia in October.

The players' wives and girlfriends arrived in time for the second Test in Hamilton but Donald's wife, Tina, did not accompany them. His two children are of school-going age and were unable to travel to New Zealand during the tour.