CAPE TOWN, (Reuters) – Stephen Mangongo will coach Zimbabwe in their home series against Bangladesh this month and has promised sweeping changes from the side who lost in West Indies.
Mangongo was assistant coach to Englishman Alan Butcher on the tour of the Caribbean and has now been handed the reins in a caretaker capacity until a permanent appointment is made, Zimbabwe Cricket communications manager Lovemore Banda told Reuters yesterday.
“Following interviews for the national coaching post which fell vacant on the first of this month, the Zimbabwe Cricket board is still considering the report from the technical staff appraisal committee, and will make an announcement when it has completed that process,” Banda said.
“In the meantime, Stephen Mangongo, who was assistant to outgoing head coach Alan Butcher, will act as coach for the Bangladesh tour to Zimbabwe.”
Zimbabwe will play two tests, three one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches against the Bangladeshis starting with the first test in Harare on April 17.
Mangongo had 28 players in a camp which started yesterday and says a shake-up of the national side is needed.
“I believe a change of tactics is required here and it’s the route I intend to take during the training sessions,” he told reporters.
“I intend to find and weed out those players who are not doing their job. I have already presented my findings to the selectors and recommended a few new players I wish to take on board, so you can expect some changes during the Bangladesh visit.”
Mangongo is on a short-list for the permanent head coach position that also includes former Zimbabwe international Andy Waller.
Zimbabwe were in the test cricket wilderness between 2005 and 2011 after a self-imposed exile as they battled with the poor performance of the team and an overhaul by the government of the Zimbabwe Cricket Board.
They returned in August 2011 with a 130-run victory over Bangladesh in Harare, but have since lost five tests in a row to Pakistan, New Zealand (two) and West Indies (two).
