SACKED Cranbourne Cricket coach Johan Vorster has described the Cranbourne committee as spineless and cowardly after it gave him his marching orders on Monday.
Vorster was tossed from his position as captain/coach of the Dandenong and District Cricket Association side only three months into a season-long contract.
The Cranbourne committee cited a growing tension between Vorster and the organisation as the reason behind its decision, but the South African-native who moved to Australia to take on the coaching role less than five months ago, believes the committee bowed to player pressure.
Vorster said a group of unnamed senior players approached the committee calling for his immediate sacking.
A few players went to the committee and held them to ransom, Vorster said.
They said players have left and more will leave if I am still coaching.
Glenn Weir, a media spokesperson for Cranbourne, denied the players had any involvement with the decision.
It's not a matter of the tail wagging the dog, Weir said.
The committee has had a few issues over his coaching style and we've had a series of meetings and discussions with Johan (Vorster) trying to get a resolution.
Vorster strongly denied any claims of ever talking to the committee about his coaching style or problems arising from the way he handled the playing group.
They are lies, Vorster said.
I have never been to a meeting like that and I would love to see the minutes from these meetings I was said to have been to.
Under Vorster, Cranbourne has gone undefeated but the former first-class player denies he compromised the values of the family-based club with a win-at-all-costs approach to coaching.
I have four guys who are under 17 playing in the senior team, Vorster said.
I am looking at the future and the youth of the club and giving them a chance to play.
It's just a few senior players who don't like discipline, don't like punishment and can't follow instructions that went and sooked to the committee.
Weir said it was unfortunate to lose someone of Vorster's capabilities.
We are really disappointed, Weir said.
He brought a great degree of commitment and passion to coaching but our goals and expectations are too far apart.
It's great to win and we love to win, but Johan (Vorster) wanted success at any price and in the interests of all parties we had to let him go.