Former players slam their ex-coach

Titans angry over criticism of Pybus

Cricinfo staff

May 1, 2008

The Titans are considering taking action over comments made by their former players Pierre de Bruyn and Alfonso Thomas about the Titans coach Richard Pybus last week. The two players were released from their Titans contracts in January and signed with the Dolphins, and on Friday they came up against their old team in the Pro20 final.

Before the decider, which the Titans won, de Bruyn and Thomas slammed their former team and coach in the Afrikaans newspaper Beeld. "We owe the Dolphins a win in the final after they gave us a lifeline after being chased away from the Titans like dogs," de Bruyn said.

Their attacks on Pybus included describing him as "one-dimensional" and "a very boring coach". de Bruyn was critical of what he called "yoga and other nonsense" that Pybus included in the team's preparations. "The players get so drained from this that on completion one does not know where you are," de Bruyn said.

Pybus had the last laugh when the Titans secured an 18-run win in the final but his employers said in a statement they took extreme exception to the comments of de Bruyn and Thomas and the issue might not be closed. "The franchise will be taking the matter further through the channels available to it," the statement said.

"Pybus' track record as a coach who has won four trophies in three years as well as the number of national players that he has produced is exceptional. This, together with his grooming of the next crop of Titans stars, must place him as a top contender for the domestic coach of the year award."

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Players/Umpires

Pierre de Bruyn

Richard Pybus

Alfonso Thomas

Series/Tournaments

South Africa Domestic Season

Teams

Dolphins

South Africa

Titans