Mickey Arthur set for New Zealand role after quitting South Africa

Mickey Arthur will be headhunted by New Zealand after his sudden resignation as South Africa coach today amid reports of a deteriorating relationship with both his captain, Graeme Smith, and a ­management board disenchanted by the failure to beat England in the recent Test and one-day series. New Zealand have been without a coach since the former Warwickshire batsman Andy Moles resigned and their chief executive, Justin Vaughan, has been a firm admirer of Arthur ever since he piloted South Africa to a historic victory in Australia a year ago and took them to No1 in both the Test and one-day rankings. Arthur has taken the shock decision to walk only four days before South Africa leave on a three-month tour, first to India and then to the West Indies for the World Twenty20, upset that he was repeatedly being made the scapegoat by Cricket South Africa's chief executive, Gerald Majola, for a fall from grace since that Australia triumph and for failing to quicken the progress of black cricketers into the national side. Unless Majola persuades him to reconsider, Arthur, flanked by his chief executive, will explain the reasons for his departure in his home town of East London on the Eastern Cape early tomorrow. If New Zealand do not tempt Arthur to accept one of the more contented coaching roles in world cricket, he is prepared to bide his time and await a coaching opportunity in English county cricket. "I would love a job in England," he said. There are unconfirmed reports that Vincent Barnes – Arthur's choice as bowling coach but thought to be less admired by Smith – has been sacked. Barnes said he would be packing for India, although he would be well advised not to start just yet. There are even suggestions that Mike ­Proctor's job as chairman of selectors is in jeopardy. Smith has so far outlasted three coaches – Eric Simons, Ray Jennings and Arthur – and four chief selectors during his seven years as captain. Cricket South Africa refused to confirm his resignation today, but Arthur told Reuters that his five-year tenure was at an end. "I know the timing is very unfortunate, especially with a Test tour of India coming up but the international cricket calendar these days means that there is never a good time," he said. "I'm proud of what we achieved." Corrie van Zyl, a former bowling coach who is in charge of South Africa's high performance centre in Pretoria, will be caretaker coach in India. Long-term candidates are thin on the ground. Duncan Fletcher, the former England coach who worked with South Africa on a freelance basis this winter, has had his fill of the touring life, and an Afrikaan-led campaign for the no-nonsense Kepler Wessels to take charge to challenge Smith's authority as captain is likely to be dismissed out of hand. Jeremy Snape, a former England one-day international, is caught up in the fallout. Snape's presence as South Africa's psychoanalyst at Smith's behest came in response to repeated accusations that they choked at crucial moments, but has yet to bring dividends. South Africa failed, characteristically, in the final stages of the World Twenty20 in England last summer. Talk of an "irreparable breakdown" between Smith and Arthur is exaggerated, although Arthur, an amiable man, became increasingly disenchanted at suggestions that he was Smith's puppet. Smith is not the only dominant captain in cricket; it tends to be the norm. Fanie de Villiers, the former South Africa fast bowler, summed it up neatly, saying: "If you play the game for a long time then I don't think anybody has seen a captain and coach sitting on the same side of the fire." Smith, as ever, is sitting upwind. His power base is as strong as that of the disgraced former captain Hansie Cronje. When Cronje was banned for life for match-fixing, and later died in a plane crash, many in South Africa vowed that no captain would ever be as powerful, but Smith, as well as being a redoubtable batsman, is an assertive leader whose qualities remain essential to their future.