Charl Langeveldt appointed as bowling coach of Zimbabwe

As the youthful Zimbabwean squad prepares to host India in the upcoming five-match T20I series commencing in a few days, Zimbabwe Cricket has announced another significant development, with Charl Langeveldt being appointed as their new bowling coach.

Langeveldt brings a wealth of experience both as a bowler and a coach. With a career spanning nine years, he claimed 133 wickets in 87 matches across all formats for South Africa. Additionally, he has held coaching stints as a bowling coach for the Proteas (two separate tenures), as well as for Bangladesh and Afghanistan. 

The appointments were sanctioned by the Mhishi Committee of Inquiry, established to examine the team's failure to qualify for the recently concluded T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies. 

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Langeveldt's most-recent tenure with an international team was with Afghanistan, which lasted until the conclusion of last year's ODI World Cup in India. 

Stuart Matsikenyeri, the former Zimbabwean batter who served as interim head coach before Justin Sammons' full-time appointment as head coach, continues to be a vital part of the coaching staff in the role of fielding coach.

South Africans, Ravish Gobind and Curtly Diesel, will also bolster the backroom staff, taking on the roles of strategic performance coach and strength and conditioning coach, respectively.

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Zimbabwe is set to play a one-off Test against Ireland just 11 days after concluding their series with India. This match will mark Zimbabwe's return to the longest format after an 18-month hiatus. 

A near full-strength Zimbabwean team narrowly missed out on the two available spots from the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Africa Region Qualifier 2023 in November 2023, with Namibia and Uganda claiming those positions and preventing Zimbabwe from participating in the T20 World Cup 2024. Under the guidance of Langeveldt and his coaching staff, they'd be eager to start afresh and regain their competitive edge.