Proteas name interim batting coach

Proteas team management on Monday announced that Amol Muzumdar has been roped in as a temporary batting coach for the Test series against India starting next month.

Amol Muzumdar is a prominent performer in Indian domestic circuit. The right-handed batsman played 171 first-class matches, 113 List A games and 14 T20s where he scored 11,167 runs (average 48.13), 3.286 runs (average 38.20) and 174 runs (average 19.33) respectively.

"He has moved on to become one of the top coaches in India, holding high performance coaching certificates from the BCCI, Cricket Australia as well as in the United Kingdom through both Lancashire and Yorkshire", CSA said via a press statement.

Muzumdar retired in 2014 and has taken up various coaching roles since.

While Lance Klusener will be work with the team as its assistant batting coach for the T20I series, Muzumdar will join the side ahead of its Test assignments.

The Proteas have restructured their backroom staff appointing van Zyl and interim Director of Cricket to oversee the technical staff headed up by Enoch Nkwe.

From that aspect, it makes sense to bring in someone who is familiar with the conditions and who played his entire career in India.

'He also assisted us at the spin-bowling camp we held recently in India and thus has already built up a good working relationship with Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma and Zubayr Hamza'.

On the other hand, Amol Muzumdar is feeling excited to start a new chapter to his coaching career.

Meanwhile, Muzumdar stated that cricket has and will always continue to be his calling. "I know the players very well, had worked with some of them when they had travelled to Mumbai", Muzumdar told The Indian Express. Later, the senior national selection committee members have chosen Vikram Rathore for the batting coach role. "At the moment, it is only for the Test series and they had asked about my availability as well". The tour which includes three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) and an equal variety of Take a look at matches, will begin on September 15 with the T20Is.