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{{short description|South African cricketer and coach (born 1973)}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Nic Pothas
| image = Lords 09.jpg
| caption = Pothas (second from right) with [[Hampshire County Cricket Club|Hampshire]] team-mates, [[Lord's]], 2009
| country = South Africa
| full_name = Nic Pothas
| nickname = Skeg
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|11|18|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Johannesburg]], [[Transvaal Province]], South Africa
| batting = Right-handed
| bowling = Right-arm medium
| role = [[Wicket-keeper]]
| international = true
| odidebutdate = 23 August
| odidebutyear = 2000
| odidebutagainst = Pakistan
| odicap = 61
| lastodidate = 27 August
| lastodiyear = 2000
| lastodiagainst = Pakistan
| club5 = Delhi Giants
| year5 = 2007/08
| club3 = [[Hampshire County Cricket Club|Hampshire]]
| year3 = 2002–2011
| clubnumber3 = 9
| club2 = [[Gauteng cricket team|Gauteng]]
| year2 = 1997/98–2001/02
| club1 = [[Transvaal cricket team|Transvaal]]
| year1 = {{nowrap|1993/94–1996/97}}
| columns = 4
| column1 = [[One Day International|ODI]]
| matches1 = 3
| runs1 = 24
| bat avg1 = 24.00
| 100s/50s1 = 0/0
| top score1 = 24
| deliveries1 = –
| wickets1 = –
| bowl avg1 = –
| fivefor1 = –
| tenfor1 = –
| best bowling1 = –
| catches/stumpings1 = 4/1
| column2 = [[First-class cricket|FC]]
| matches2 = 218
| runs2 = 11,438
| bat avg2 = 40.85
| 100s/50s2 = 24/61
| top score2 = 165
| deliveries2 = 120
| wickets2 = 1
| bowl avg2 = 63.00
| fivefor2 = 0
| tenfor2 = 0
| best bowling2 = 1/16
| catches/stumpings2 = 614/45
| column3 = [[List A cricket|LA]]
| matches3 = 236
| runs3 = 4,567
| bat avg3 = 35.40
| 100s/50s3 = 3/24
| top score3 = 114[[not out|*]]
| deliveries3 = –
| wickets3 = –
| bowl avg3 = –
| fivefor3 = –
| tenfor3 = –
| best bowling3 = –
| catches/stumpings3 = 211/53
| column4 = [[Twenty20|T20]]
| matches4 = 79
| runs4 = 687
| bat avg4 = 21.46
| 100s/50s4 = 0/3
| top score4 = 59
| deliveries4 = –
| wickets4 = –
| bowl avg4 = –
| fivefor4 = –
| tenfor4 = –
| best bowling4 = –
| catches/stumpings4 = 33/14
| date = 15 September
| year = 2011
| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/46780.html ESPNcricinfo
}}

'''Nic Pothas''' (born 18 November 1973) is a South African cricket coach and former [[cricket]]er who played as a right-handed [[Batting (cricket)|batsman]] and fielded as a [[wicket-keeper]]. In a total of over 200 first-class matches, he has taken over 500 catches. Pothas is an accomplished [[batsman]], with an [[batting average (cricket)|average]] of over 40 in [[first-class cricket]].

==International career==
Pothas was representing [[South Africa A cricket team|South Africa A]] in Barbados when he was drafted into the [[South Africa national cricket team|South Africa]] squad for the [[2000 Singapore Challenge]] as cover for [[Mark Boucher]] who had sliced his fingers open cutting [[biltong]] following South Africa's tie against [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] at the [[Colonial Stadium]] in [[Melbourne]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/85347.html|title=Pothas gets a wake-up call|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=8 April 2016}}</ref> With Boucher not fit for their next [[One Day International]] against [[Pakistan national cricket team|Pakistan]] at the [[Kallang Ground]] in Singapore, Pothas made his international debut. He marked his debut by taking two [[Caught|catches]] and making a single [[stumping]], while scoring 24 runs with the bat.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/70/70434.html|title=Match scorecard|access-date=8 April 2016}}</ref>

Pothas played in South Africa's next two fixtures in the Singapore tournament against [[New Zealand national cricket team|New Zealand]], in which he took two further catches,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/70/70439.html|title=Match scorecard|access-date=8 April 2016}}</ref> and in the final of the competition against Pakistan, which marked his final international appearance for South Africa.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/70/70441.html|title=Match scorecard|access-date=8 April 2016}}</ref> It was the presence of Boucher in the South Africa team that acted as a barrier to Pothas representing South Africa more often and indeed progressing to playing [[Test cricket]]. He also represented the Greek national team at the 2012 T-20 European Championship.

==Domestic career==

===Early life and career===
Born in [[Johannesburg]], [[Transvaal Province]], Pothas was educated at [[King Edward VII School (Johannesburg)|King Edward VII School]] in Johannesburg. The school has a reputation for producing sportsmen of high quality. From there Pothas proceeded to [[Rand Afrikaans University]]. While undertaking his education he played cricket for Transvaal University, [[South African Universities cricket team|South African Universities]] and even played a single first-class match in 1995 for a combined South African Students cricket team.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/2/2349/all_teams.html|title=Match scorecard|access-date=8 April 2016}}</ref>

He started his career at [[Transvaal cricket team|Transvaal]] in 1993, making his first-class debut against [[Northerns (cricket team)|Northern Transvaal]]. In October 1993, Pothas made his debut in [[List A cricket]] against [[Barbados national cricket team|Barbados]] during Barbados' tour of South Africa. From his debut season to his international debut, Pothas represented [[Transvaal cricket team|Transvaal B]] and later as Transvaal were known, [[Gauteng cricket team|Gauteng]]. A regular in the first-class and List A arenas while in South Africa, he was a consistent wicket-keeper batsman, averaging on average in the mid thirties with the bat and keeping tidily behind the [[stumps]].<ref name = "FCB">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/2/2349/f_Batting_by_Team.html|title=Match scorecard|access-date=8 April 2016}}</ref>

Following his representation of South Africa at international level in 2000, Pothas acquired a [[Greece|Greek]] passport owing to his [[Greek people|Greek heritage]]. This meant Pothas played for Gauteng as their overseas player.<ref name = "Pot">{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/115656.html|title=Hampshire sign South African wicket-keeper batsman|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=8 April 2016}}</ref> Seeking to play [[county cricket]], Pothas was sought after by at least four English counties, but eventually signed for [[Hampshire County Cricket Club|Hampshire]] in 2002 under recommendation from then Hampshire coach and fellow South African [[Jimmy Cook]] as a [[Kolpak ruling|Kolpak Player]].<ref name = "Pot"/>

===County cricket===
Making his first-class debut for the county in the 2002 [[County Championship]] against [[Kent County Cricket Club|Kent]], Pothas followed his up by making his List A debut in the same season against Kent in the 2002 [[Benson and Hedges Cup]] and the following season he played in Hampshire's first ever [[Twenty20 cricket|Twenty20]] match against [[Sussex County Cricket Club|Sussex]]. A regular in all formats for Hampshire, he has played to date 124 first-class matches for the county, scoring over 7,000 runs and taking 355 catches behind the stumps,<ref name = "FCB"/> making him one of Hampshire's most successful wicket-keeper batsman. Up to the [[2010 County Championship]], Pothas had scored over 800 first-class runs in every season with Hampshire, besides the 2002 and 2007 seasons.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/46780.html|title=Nic Pothas|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=8 April 2016}}</ref> Injury put paid to him recording over 800 first-class runs in the 2010 County Championship. Since making his debut for Hampshire, he has been at the forefront of one of the county's most successful periods, winning the [[2005 Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy]] and [[2009 Friends Provident Trophy]], in the final at [[Lord's Cricket Ground|Lords]] he made 35 runs from only 31 balls, including a huge six in to the Tavern Stand, in a winning partnership worth 67 runs with [[Chris Benham]], who hit the winning runs.[[File:Lords scoreboard.jpg|thumb|left|230px|Pothas and [[Chris Benham]] build their winning partnership in the [[2009 Friends Provident Trophy]] final ]] In the field Pothas caught his opposing wicket-keeper [[Matt Prior]] for a [[Duck (cricket)|duck]], and caught Pakistani international [[Yasir Arafat (cricketer, born 1982)|Yasir Arafat]] behind for 9.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/204/204541.html|title=Match scorecard|access-date=8 April 2016}}</ref> He was also a runner-up for the Hampshire in the [[2005 County Championship]] and the [[2007 Friends Provident Trophy]]. It was in 2007 that Pothas became eligible to be selected for [[England cricket team|England]], four years after receiving his Hampshire cap.

In the English off-season, Pothas signed on with the [[Indian Cricket League]] and featured in the Delhi Giants team in 2008.

During his near decade with Hampshire, Pothas has stood in as county captain when captains such as [[Shane Warne]], [[Shaun Udal]] and [[Dimitri Mascarenhas]] were unavailable. However, with then incumbent captain Dimitri Mascarenhas injured for the 2010 season following an injury picked up in the [[Indian Premier League]], Pothas was selected to captain the team on a more long term season basis. Mid-season, he developed a cartilage defect in his right knee which ruled him out of the remainder of the season.<ref>[http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/domestic/counties/hampshire/mascarenhas-and-pothas,311241,EN.html Hants lose Mascarenhas and Pothas] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110110035913/http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/domestic/counties/hampshire/mascarenhas-and-pothas,311241,EN.html |date=10 January 2011 }}</ref> He was replaced as captain by [[Dominic Cork]] and as wicket-keeper by [[Michael Bates (cricketer, born 1990)|Michael Bates]]. He added more honours during this season by being a member of Hampshire's [[2010 Friends Provident t20]] winning squad, having captained and played in the group stages of the competition.

In 2011, Pothas was awarded a benefit year by Hampshire, which involved a number of events and was organised by former Hampshire teammate Shaun Udal.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rosebowlplc.com/news/nic-pothas-granted-benefit-year/ |title=Nic Pothas Granted Benefit Year |access-date=28 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002114344/http://www.rosebowlplc.com/news/nic-pothas-granted-benefit-year/ |archive-date=2 October 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.skeg2011.com/ |title=Nic Pothas Benefit Year 2011 |access-date=28 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124234812/http://www.skeg2011.com/ |archive-date=24 January 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Pothas endured an injury hit [[2011 English cricket season|2011 season]], with Hampshire taking the decision to release him at the end of that season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rosebowlplc.com/news/nic-pothas-released-by-hampshire-cricket/|title=Nic Pothas Released by Hampshire Cricket|publisher=rosebowlplc.com|access-date=15 September 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926022216/http://www.rosebowlplc.com/news/nic-pothas-released-by-hampshire-cricket/|archivedate=26 September 2011}}</ref>

===Greece career===
Pothas, who is of [[Greek people|Greek]] descent, was contacted on the social networking site Facebook by the [[Hellenic Cricket Federation]] (HCF) who asked him if he was "Nic Pothas the Greek cricketer". Pothas and HCF began talking, with Pothas taking age-group teams from England to [[Corfu]] so Greek teams have opposition to compare themselves against. He has been coaching Greek cricketers on his regular visits to [[Greece]], where many of his family still live.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/552652.html|title=Cricket's not all greek to the Greeks|last=Moonda|first=Firdose|date=10 February 2012|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=11 February 2012}}</ref> Pothas captained the [[Greece national cricket team|Greek national side]] at the [[2012 ICC European T20 Championship Division Two|2012 European T20 Championship Division Two]] tournament in September 2012, played in [[Corfu]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thejc.com/sport/sport-news/77170/high-hopes-israel-icc-championships|title=High hopes for Israel at ICC Championships|date=31 August 2012|work=[[The Jewish Chronicle]]|access-date=4 September 2012}}{{dead link|date=July 2026|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

==Coaching career==
In December 2012, Pothas was appointed director of cricket at the [[Guernsey Cricket Board]], with oversight of the [[Guernsey cricket team]]. He had previously played a season for the Cenkos Centurions, a team in the island's domestic Twenty20 league.<ref>— (13 December 2012). [http://www.espncricinfo.com/other/content/story/596997.html "Pothas appointed at Guernsey"] – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 October 2014.</ref> Pothas has also promoted the development of women's cricket in Guernsey, with plans for the island to host a future international tournament<ref>— (28 June 2013). [https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/cricket/23096428 "Guernsey to host first European women's cricket event in 2014"] – BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 October 2014.</ref><ref>— (18 February 2014). [https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/cricket/26244351 "Guernsey women's cricket 'can grow' – Nic Pothas"] – BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 October 2014.</ref>

In October 2015, Pothas stepped down from his role as Guernsey's director of cricket after leading Guernsey to the World Cricket League Division Six final in the final month.<ref>{{cite web|title= Nic Pothas steps down from Guernsey cricket role|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/34425385|publisher=BBC Sport|date=3 October 2015}}</ref>

In July 2016, Pothas was appointed as the fielding coach of [[Sri Lanka national cricket team|Sri Lanka]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Fernando |first=Andrew Fidel |date=29 July 2016 |title=Nic Pothas named Sri Lanka fielding coach |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/srilanka/content/story/1040301.html |publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=16 August 2016}}</ref> On 27 June 2017, with the resignation of head coach [[Graham Ford]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/srilanka/content/story/1105652.html |title=Ford steps down as Sri Lanka coach |publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=24 June 2017}}</ref> [[Sri Lanka Cricket]] appointed Pothas as the interim coach for Zimbabwe and Indian tours.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/srilanka/content/story/1106907.html |title=Pothas takes over as interim SL coach following Ford's exit |publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=27 June 2017}}</ref>

In November 2018 Pothas was appointed as the interim head coach of [[West Indies national cricket team]] for the [[West Indian cricket team in Bangladesh in 2018–19|tour of Bangladesh]] following the end of Stuart Law's stint.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nic Pothas named interim West Indies head coach|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/25325763/nic-pothas-named-interim-west-indies-head-coach |publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=20 November 2018}}</ref> He served [[Middlesex County Cricket Club|Middlesex]] as assistant coach from 2018 to 2021.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Pothas steps down as Middlesex assistant|publisher=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/58721369 |access-date=2023-04-06}}</ref>

In April 2023, he was appointed as the assistant coach of the [[Bangladesh national cricket team]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nic Pothas named Bangladesh's assistant coach |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/bangladesh-rope-in-pothas-as-assistant-coach-for-two-years-1367257 |access-date=2023-04-06 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cricinfo|id=46780}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pothas, Nic}}
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Cricketers from Johannesburg]]
[[Category:Alumni of King Edward VII School (Johannesburg)]]
[[Category:South African cricketers]]
[[Category:Greek cricketers]]
[[Category:South Africa One Day International cricketers]]
[[Category:Gauteng cricketers]]
[[Category:Hampshire cricketers]]
[[Category:South African expatriate cricketers in England]]
[[Category:Hampshire cricket captains]]
[[Category:Delhi Giants cricketers]]
[[Category:South African people of Greek descent]]
[[Category:South African cricket coaches]]
[[Category:South African expatriate sportspeople in Guernsey]]
[[Category:South African expatriate sportspeople in India]]
[[Category:Wicket-keepers]]
[[Category:South African expatriate sportspeople in Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Coaches of the Bangladesh national cricket team]]
[[Category:Rand Afrikaans University alumni]]

Nic Pothas - Revision history

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