Cricket South Africa has entrusted Mandla Mashimbyi with leading the Proteas women into the future after he was named as Hilton Moreeng's permanent replacement yesterday.
Mashimbyi takes over from Dillon du Preez, who has been overseeing the side since Moreeng stepped down earlier this year. Du Preez successfully led South Africa to a T20 series 2-1 win against Pakistan and the 2024 T20 World Cup final, which they lost by 32 runs against New Zealand last month.
Moreeng stepped down from his role in May this year after leading the side for over eleven years, and he has since taken over a role with the United States of America’s women’s cricket team.
Mashimbyi, also a former Titans pace bowler, brings with him a wealth of experience having won multiple championships with the same franchise as a coach, and he has also been a part of the men’s national team as a bowling coach in the tour to Sri Lanka in 2021.
Director of National Teams and High Performance, Enoch Nkwe, was pleased with Mashimbyi’s appointment and the experience he brings into the side.
“CSA is extremely proud to welcome someone of Mandla's stature and expertise. We are confident that he will excel in this role, bringing a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective,” Nkwe commented.
“Mandla has our full support in his efforts, and we look forward to the growth and achievements that the Proteas Women’s team will experience under his leadership.”
Commenting after his appointment, Mashimbyi expressed his gratitude for the role the Titans have played in his development.
He said he hopes to share some of the knowledge he has gained over the past decade into the growth of women's cricket in South Africa.
“It is with a profound sense of honour and humility that I accept the appointment as the Proteas women's coach. I am fully cognizant of the significant responsibilities and expectations associated with this esteemed position,” said Mashimbyi.
“I am profoundly grateful for the exceptional opportunity bestowed upon me by Titans Cricket throughout my tenure as a coach. Their unwavering support and unwavering backing over the past eleven years have been instrumental in my professional growth and development.
“At this juncture, I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity to contribute my expertise and knowledge to the Proteas women's continued success and to elevate their standing as a formidable force in world cricket.”
The Proteas are currently in a heated battle against England, and they trail the former world champions 2-0 in the three-match T20I series.
Coming off a few highs in the T20 format in the last two years, the target coming into the series would have been to back up the two consecutive finals with a big English scalp.
But a combination of good cricket from the visitors and a below-par showing from the Proteas has meant that the former world champions have maintained their unbeaten record in bilateral series against South Africa.
The third and final encounter will be played at SuperSport Park in Centurion today (6pm start), followed by three One Day Internationals starting on Wednesday.
The ODI series will be of importance for the Proteas and Mashimbyi as the next major tournament will be the 50 over tournament next year to be hosted by India.