Six months without a coach…Chevrons to finally get their man next week

SIX months after Zimbabwe Cricket legend Dave Houghton hung his coaching hat, the Chevrons are finally set to welcome a new head coach by the end of next week. Houghton stepped down in December 2023, leaving the team under two interim coaches ever since. Now, ZC is ready to fill both the senior and Under-19 coaching positions.

ZC initially promised announcements by early May, but fans can breathe a sigh of relief — the wait is almost over. Saturday Chronicle spoke to ZC managing director, Givemore Makoni, who confirmed that the new coach will be announced soon. Interviews have been concluded, and a shortlist of three candidates is in place.

While Makoni remained tight-lipped on specifics, he hinted at a mix of local and international coaches vying for the Chevrons’ top job. The wait for a permanent leader is nearly at an end, with both the Chevrons and the U-19 team poised for a new chapter.

“It is not finalised yet, but we have concluded the interviews and names have been shortlisted. We have three names for the Under-19s and three for the senior men’s team and most likely by the end of next week, we will announce who the new coaches are. It will be a combination of local and international coaches,” said Makoni.

The incoming Chevrons coach will face a baptism by fire — a five-match T20I series against India in Harare starting July 6. All games will be played at Harare Sports Club. Zimbabwe’s recent struggles, including losses to lower-ranked teams and a drop in ICC rankings, have prompted ZC to seek a coach who can elevate the Chevrons to at least eighth place in both the ODI and T20I rankings.

ZC has relied on interim coaches since Houghton’s resignation in December 2023. Walter Chawaguta led the team in Sri Lanka before taking over the Lady Chevrons, while Stuart Matsikenyeri recently managed the Bangladesh tour.

Houghton’s departure followed a string of disappointing results, including failing to qualify for both the 2023 Cricket World Cup and the ongoing T20 World Cup within a few months. This was compounded by a series loss to Ireland at home — the first time Zimbabwe has fallen to the Irish in a white-ball series.

The coaching vacancies aren’t the only ones at ZC. The director of cricket position remains vacant after Hamilton Masakadza resigned in March, citing the World Cup qualification failure. Former Zimbabwean cricketer and Sri Lanka head coach, Trevor Penney, currently the assistant coach at the IPL’s Rajasthan Royals, is rumoured to be a contender for the Chevrons job.@brandon_malvin