ZIMBABWE Cricket (ZC) has moved a step closer to employing a substantive coach for the senior national team after inviting applicants in search of a candidate to fill in the void left by Dave Whatmore.
BY KEVIN MAPASURE
Whatmore was sacked in June this year as Zimbabwe prepared for their limited overs home series against India.
Bowling coach Makhaya Ntini (pictured) has been presiding over the team on an interim basis, buy the invitation for applicants means the former South Africa fast bowler has been rendered unfit for the job.
Ntini coached Zimbabwe during the India tour where they lost the 50-overs series 3-0 before they also lost the T-20 series 2-1.
More recently they played against New Zealand in a two match Test series where they lost by an innings and 117 runs in the first before the 254 run defeat in the second.
It is expected that once a new coach comes in Ntini will revert back to his role as bowling coach with Lance Klusener staying in as batting consultant.
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Whatmore was appointed ahead of the International Cricket Council 2015 World Cup which was played in New Zealand and Australia.
At that tournament Zimbabwe only won one match against the United Arab Emirates while they lost to South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, Ireland and India.
Under the Australian’s watch they also failed to make to into the main tournament of the ICC World T-20 that was played in India after missing out to Afghanistan.
Before that Zimbabwe lost back to back limited overs series to Afghanistan at home and in Dubai.
The new coach’s main mandate will be to qualify the team to the 2019 ICC World Cup and to improve the team’s competitiveness in Test cricket.
It is hoped that by the time Zimbabwe play Sri Lanka in Test series towards the end of the year a new coach will be in place.
Zimbabwe will be hoping to improve on their One-Day International ranking, in order to get an automatic place at the World Cup.
Only the top eight in the ODI rankings by end of next year get automatic tickets to the showpiece that will be hosted by England.
The rest of the nations in the ODI championship table will have to joing other Associate sides in a qualifying phase.
Zimbabwe is currently ranked number 11.
ZC is looking for a highly qualified person to take up the post with international coaching experience.
