Former India cricketer Lalchand Rajput has been awarded the role of becoming the full-time head coach of the Zimbabwe cricket team. Earlier, Rajput was appointed as an interim coach as earlier in June this year Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) had sacked Heath Streak following the team’s failure to secure qualification for the ICC World Cup 2019.

Rajput has immense experience in coaching and team management, having previously worked as the head of the backroom staff with the Indian team during their World T20 2007 as well as guiding the current batch of Afghanistan internationals, who have since gone to earn Test status. Recently, he served as head coach of Assam in Ranji Trophy and has also mentored the Mumbai Indians team during IPL 2018. He has also served as the coaching director at BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.

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ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukhlani also revealed that Rajput is hard-working and his passionate approach to coaching will be a crucial factor in earning him the full-time role as Zimbabwe target qualification to the next World T20. He explained, “We believe Lalchand has the pedigree and experience to build a young side and help us achieve our goals. Lalchand has a wealth of experience and an outstanding track record of success throughout his career. His hard-working and passionate approach and his sense of values on and off the pitch make him the ideal person to take us forward.”

Zimbabwe skipper Hamilton Masakadza, who is currently participating in a training camp organized by Rajput, welcomed the appointment. He said, “Appointing someone of his experience and stature bodes well for the future of our cricket as he is a really positive coach who brings a lot of positive energy and wants to see positive results for the team. I have been very impressed with his work ethic and attention to detail. We have worked on a lot of specifics and put a lot of time into our games. The boys have responded really well to the rigorous training schedule and we are already starting to see a lot of improvement.”

Rajput’s first assignments as the head coach is a limited-overs tour of South Africa starting September 30. That will be followed by a trip to Bangladesh, where Zimbabwe will play three ODIs and two Tests.