Zimbabwe Cricket announced on Wednesday (June 19) that Justin Sammons has been appointed as the head coach of the Zimbabwe senior men’s team following a board meeting.
Sammons’s appointment as full-time head coach comes over six months after Dave Houghton stepped down from the role following Zimbabwe’s failure to qualify for the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
Assisting Sammons will be former Zimbabwe cricketer Dion Ebrahim, who joins the team as the assistant coach.
Following Houghton’s resignation, Walter Chawaguta served as the interim head coach during Zimbabwe’s tour of Sri Lanka in January this year, while Stuart Matsikenyeri filled a similar role for the team during their tour of Bangladesh in May.
Sammons brings a wealth of coaching experience, having previously been part of South Africa’s high-performance program and worked with various domestic teams.
He also served as the batting consultant for the South Africa team from 2021 to 2023.
Ebrahim, who represented Zimbabwe in 29 Tests and 82 ODIs, transitioned into coaching in New Zealand and was involved with the Black Caps.
The remaining support staff for the Zimbabwe team will be appointed in consultation with Sammons, according to ZC.
“We are delighted to confirm Justin as Head Coach of the Zimbabwe Senior Men’s National Team,” said ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani.
“He brings a wealth of coaching experience and a reputation for identifying, nurturing, and developing some of the best young talent in South Africa.
His hard-working and passionate approach, as well as his sense of values on and off the pitch, make him the ideal person to take us forward.”
Expressing his enthusiasm for the new role, Sammons said: “It is an absolute privilege to be appointed as the Zimbabwe Senior Men’s National Team Head Coach.
I look forward to the road ahead and am excited to start working with this talented group of players.”
ZC also announced that Elton Chigumbura, the former Zimbabwe captain, will assume the role of head coach for the Zimbabwe men’s Under-19 team.
Joining him will be Rangarirai Norbert Manyande, who will serve as both assistant coach and batting coach.
Manyande previously played first-class cricket in Zimbabwe before representing Namibia.
Paul Adams, the former South African spinner, will take on the role of bowling coach.
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