South African skipper AB de Villiers has restated his support for Russell Domingo as contract of the South African coach's contract and his future hangs in the balance

In January, Domingo's position was put up for review by Cricket South Africa, when it announced, "commence the recruitment process for the appointment of the Proteas Head Coach to take charge after the tour to the UK until after the 2019 edition of the ICC World Cup."

That process is now ongoing after CSA nominated a five-man committee, including former South Africa, coaches Gary Kirsten and Eric Simons, to "screen and recommend a suitable candidate to the board for appointment".

While Domingo has not confirmed whether he would re-apply for the job, he has relished universal backing from his players in the media, soon after CSA's announcement of finding a new one. De Villiers said that it was a "bitter pill to swallow" because Domingo was "like family". He said, "We're with a great coach at the moment who is really leading the side well. We all get along with him and we all love him as our coach."

Also read: AB de Villiers dream of winning CT 2017

When asked whether that meant he would like Domingo to continue as a coach on September 1, ABD replied, "Yes, definitely."

The judgment of the cricketers is likely to be taken into consideration when the CSA committee evaluates contenders for the job, but the success of the South African team in England will also be a factor. Domingo is the only coach to escort South Africa through a knockout match at a major tournament, and if the Proteas were to go all the way in the Champions Trophy then chances for his preservation would increase.

South Africa is also going to play a four-match Test series against England in July and August.