Courtney Walsh joins Zimbabwe coaching staff as permanent bowling coach

Former West Indies pace legend Courtney Walsh has been appointed as the bowling coach of the Zimbabwe men’s team after Zimbabwe Cricket confirmed the decision on Wednesday, July 1. The appointment was approved during a Zimbabwe Cricket board meeting held on June 23, with Walsh taking up the role on a permanent basis following a successful stint with the national side earlier this year.

Walsh had served as a bowling consultant during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, where Zimbabwe emerged as one of the surprise packages of the tournament. Under the guidance of the experienced fast-bowling great, Zimbabwe defeated Australia and Sri Lanka to top their group before progressing to the Super Eights. Their impressive campaign also secured automatic qualification for the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, highlighting the steady progress of the side.

Zimbabwe Cricket has also retained the majority of its coaching staff, ensuring continuity within the setup led by head coach Justin Sammons. Dion Ebrahim will continue in his role as assistant coach responsible for batting, while Stuart Matsikenyeri remains the fielding and lower-order batting coach. The board believes maintaining stability within the coaching group will help the national side build on its recent success across formats.

Former Zimbabwe all-rounder Chamu Chibhabha has also been handed an expanded responsibility. Having previously managed the Zimbabwe ‘A’ side and the Eagles domestic team, Chibhabha will now work alongside senior team manager Dilip Chouhan as part of Zimbabwe Cricket’s long-term succession planning initiative. Meanwhile, former captain Elton Chigumbura has retained his position as head coach of the Zimbabwe Under-19 men’s team, continuing his role in developing the country’s next generation of cricketers.

Zimbabwe are currently hosting Bangladesh in an all-format bilateral series and head into the white-ball leg with renewed confidence. The hosts recently registered their biggest-ever Test victory, defeating Bangladesh by an innings and 85 runs in the one-off Test in Harare on Tuesday. The dominant performance also marked a memorable start to Richard Ngarava’s tenure as Zimbabwe’s new Test captain, giving the team significant momentum ahead of the upcoming three-match T20I series.