Cape Town - Proteas coach Russell Domingo has hit back at criticism from former captain Kepler Wessels following another failure at a major ICC event.
After the Proteas were knocked out of the ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh on Friday, Wessels criticised the tactics employed and called for the current limited-overs coaches to be replaced.
But upon the Proteas' arrival in Johannesburg on Monday, Domingo was quick to defend himself.
"It seems like Kepler wants my job," Domingo told the Beeld website.
"I feel the criticism is totally unfair. You have to question the agenda of those lashing out. It's disappointing to see.
"If we have a structure, we get criticised, and if there's no structure, then we also get criticised.
"If you let a left-handed batsman bat with a right-hander, then there's criticism. And if you don't do it, then there's also critique. You just can't win.
"It's not like they (ex-players) did so much better. They also failed in big tournaments and made the same mistakes. Now they have a lot to say as if we're the first team that come home empty handed."
Domingo also defended the decision not to send in AB de Villiers at No 3.
"With AB, it's not about where he bats, but what the situation is when he goes out to bat. He is at his most destructive when he comes in when the platform has already been set and he immediately can tee off.
"It doesn't matter if it's at No. 4, 5 or 6," said Domingo.
Domingo also defended the decision not to bowl Dale Steyn up front. India, chasing a tough 173 for victory on Friday, had the luxury of facing off-spinner JP Duminy up front. They scored 14 off the first over and never looked back in their run-chase.
"We also use Dale in the middle-and end overs. He can only bowl four and we therefore cannot open with him.
"For 36 of 40 overs we were in the game against India and at the end it was one of Virat Kohli's best ever innings - as he himself described - which floored us."
After the Proteas were knocked out of the ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh on Friday, Wessels criticised the tactics employed and called for the current limited-overs coaches to be replaced.
But upon the Proteas' arrival in Johannesburg on Monday, Domingo was quick to defend himself.
"It seems like Kepler wants my job," Domingo told the Beeld website.
"I feel the criticism is totally unfair. You have to question the agenda of those lashing out. It's disappointing to see.
"If we have a structure, we get criticised, and if there's no structure, then we also get criticised.
"If you let a left-handed batsman bat with a right-hander, then there's criticism. And if you don't do it, then there's also critique. You just can't win.
"It's not like they (ex-players) did so much better. They also failed in big tournaments and made the same mistakes. Now they have a lot to say as if we're the first team that come home empty handed."
Domingo also defended the decision not to send in AB de Villiers at No 3.
"With AB, it's not about where he bats, but what the situation is when he goes out to bat. He is at his most destructive when he comes in when the platform has already been set and he immediately can tee off.
"It doesn't matter if it's at No. 4, 5 or 6," said Domingo.
Domingo also defended the decision not to bowl Dale Steyn up front. India, chasing a tough 173 for victory on Friday, had the luxury of facing off-spinner JP Duminy up front. They scored 14 off the first over and never looked back in their run-chase.
"We also use Dale in the middle-and end overs. He can only bowl four and we therefore cannot open with him.
"For 36 of 40 overs we were in the game against India and at the end it was one of Virat Kohli's best ever innings - as he himself described - which floored us."