The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Cricket have announced the appointment of Indian Lalchand Rajput as the interim head coach of the senior men’s national team.
Rajput takes over a role left vacant after the sacking of Heath Streak in March, following Zimbabwe’s failure to qualify for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. Streak, whose two year contract was coming to an end in October, has challenged ZC’s decision to fire him.
The 56-year-old is expected to start work immediately ahead of the triangular Twenty20 international series involving Zimbabwe, Australia and Pakistan in Harare in July.
In announce the appointment of Rajput as interim Chevrons mentor, ZC said he is a highly qualified, vastly experienced and well-respected coach who was in charge when India won the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in 2007.
Apart from his success with India, he was also Afghanistan’s head coach and led them to Test status. At the beginning of last year, Rajput toured Zimbabwe with Afghanistan for a five-match One Day International series which the Asians won 3-2.
Rajput has also coached the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, while his brilliant work as the coaching director of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s National Cricket Academy is well-documented.
As a player, Rajput appeared in two Tests and four ODIs for India from 1985 to 1987.
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