Russell in Lahore with Lions' blessing

LIONS chief executive Jonno Leaf-Wright believes having his head coach Russell Domingo miss this week's Cricket SA 4-Day Series final "does not devalue South Africa's domestic system at all."

- ZAAHIER ADAMS

In fact, Leaf-Wright feels it's actually a feather in the cap attesting to the quality of South African coaches that Domingo has been called up to steer the Lahore Qalanders ship in the Pakistan Super League, which gets underway on Friday in Rawalpindi.

The Lions, of course, face the Titans in the Cricket SA's domestic first-class showpiece at the Wanderers from Thursday. "So, obviously, Russ got this opportunity as head coach of Lahore," Leaf-Wright exclusively told Independent Media.

"He came to me and said, 'Listen, I'm really happy to say no because Lions comes first and what's my views?'

"I said, 'Russ, at the end of the day, there's always great learning in these types of opportunities that you can bring back to our own environment.