Chronicle Editor
Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter
FOLLOWING weeks of speculation on what the future holds for Stuart Matsikenyeri within the Chevrons set-up, the 41-year- old will remain part of the team as Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has completed the appointment of a new coaching staff.
Matsikenyeri was the batting coach during Dave Houghton’s tenure and was made interim head coach for the Chevrons’ tour of Bangladesh in May. However, with a new coaching staff coming in, it was unclear what would become of the former Chevrons player.
On Thursday, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) announced that Matsikenyeri will remain within the coaching department as the new fielding coach after they completed the appointments of the Chevrons’ new staff. In a statement from ZC, Matsikenyeri’s stay was on recommendation from the new gaffer, Justin Sammons.
“All the appointments were made in consultation with Sammons, who also opted to retain Stuart Matsikenyeri, although he now assumes the role of Fielding Coach, while Amato Machikicho will continue serving as the team’s Physiotherapist,” read part of the statement.
The other appointments that were made by ZC include former South Africa international cricketer Charl Langeveldt who has been named as Bowling Coach, with his compatriots Ravish Gobind and Curtly Diesel coming in as Strategic Performance Coach and Strength and Conditioning Coach respectively.
The new appointments, including Sammons and Dion Ebrahim (batting and assistant coach) are in line with the recommendations made by the Mhishi Committee of Inquiry that was established to probe the team’s failure to qualify for the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Last year, ZC set up the Mhishi Committee of Inquiry to probe into the Chevrons’ failure to qualify for the 2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup, 2024 T20 World Cup and as well as to review ZC’s cricket affairs structure. The three-member committee was chaired by Lloyd Mhishi with the other members being Godfrey Nyadongo and Blessing Ngondo.
The committee recommended that the Board advertise to fill the positions of the Zimbabwe senior men’s national team and the Zimbabwe Under-19 men’s national team head coaches which became vacant following the resignations of Dave Houghton and Prosper Utseya respectively. Sammons and Elton Chigumbura have now come in as the new replacements.
A new chapter in the Chevrons book was opened yesterday when they faced India in the first game of the five-match T20I series at Harare Sports Club. It was the first match that the newly appointed coaching staff would be taking charge of.
Zimbabwe and India will play five matches at Harare Sports Club and the remaining four games are penciled for today, July 10, 13 and 14. Gate charges range from US$5 for the rest of the ground to US$20 for Centurion and Red Lion stands.— @brandon_malvin
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