South Africa coach Russell Domingo returns home due to family emergency

South Africa coach Russell Domingo has had to make an emergency trip home after his mother was critically injured following a car accident.

Domingo travelled back to Port Elizabeth on Thursday night and will miss the remainder of the Proteas’ Twenty20 international series with England.

Press Association Sport understands the tourists hope Domingo will be back in time for the tour match against England Lions, beginning next Thursday, but it is too early to confirm.

Domingo was announced as Gary Kirsten’s successor as South Africa coach in May 2013. He has overseen a period of transition following the retirements of Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis while he has been further hampered by the injury-enforced absence of key fast bowler Dale Steyn for much of the past couple of years.

Several South African media outlets report that the 42-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the England tour and he must re-apply if he wishes to stay in the role.

However, their stay in England has been miserable as they followed up losing the one-day series with a surprise elimination in the group stages of the Champions Trophy after defeats to Pakistan and India.

They then succumbed to a nine-wicket hammering in the T20 opener in Southampton earlier this week. AB de Villiers’ men go into Friday’s match at Taunton needing a victory to force a decider at Cardiff on Sunday before South Africa turn their attentions towards a four-match Test series.

Test skipper Faf du Plessis is a doubt for the opener at Lord’s, which gets under way on July 6, as he awaits the arrival of his first child while veteran batsman De Villiers has already signalled his intention to end his tour of England after the T20 series.