Justin Sammons has been named head coach of the senior men’s team by Zimbabwe Cricket

After the senior men’s national side was unable to qualify for the T20 World Cup 2024, Zimbabwe Cricket named Justin Sammons as their new head coach, ushering in a new era.

Dave Houghton’s term came to an end when Zimbabwe was not included in the ongoing global event; Sammons, who has extensive experience coaching South African cricket, takes over.

Dion Ebrahim, a former international for Zimbabwe, will support Sammons. Sammons was the Proteas’ batting consultant from 2021 to 2023 and has worked with multiple domestic sides in South Africa. He previously worked with the country’s high-performance programme.

“We are happy to announce Justin as the senior men’s national team coach of Zimbabwe.” Along with his reputation for spotting, developing, and fostering some of the brightest emerging talent in South Africa, he has a plethora of coaching experience. Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani stated in a statement, “His passionate and industrious approach, coupled with his strong moral principles both on and off the pitch, make him the ideal person to lead us forward.”

Paul Adams and Elton Chigumbura will be the coaches for Zimbabwe U19.

Sammons stated his joy about the chance and how much it means to him to be in charge of turning around the play of this highly skilled bunch of players. There has never been a more important time for Zimbabwean cricket to make these appointments. The team will have a difficult time making it to the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2026 after missing out on the previous three international competitions. Though Zimbabwe will be keen to turn around its deteriorating circumstances well before then, a home World Cup in 2027 offers optimism.

“I am incredibly honoured to have been named Head Coach of the Zimbabwe Senior Men’s National Team. The journey ahead excites me, and I can’t wait to collaborate with this gifted team of athletes.”

Additional changes to the coaching staff include the appointment of Elton Chigumbura, a former Zimbabwe captain, as head coach of the Under-19 team. Paul Adams, a seasoned bowling coach, replaces Rangarirai Norbert Manyande, a Zimbabwean and Namibian representative, as Chigumbura’s assistant and batting coach.

Creating a competitive team for a five-match T20I series against powerful India in Harare, which runs from July 6 to July 14, would be Sammons and Ebrahim’s first task as coaches.