Gary Kirsten, Dan Christian added to Netherlands' coaching staff

Netherlands have added Gary Kirsten and Dan Christian to their coaching staff on short-term deals for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia.

Kirsten's academy in Cape Town, where Netherlands coach Ryan Cook has worked for a number of years, hosted the squad for a training camp in late September ahead of the tournament, while Christian joined up with the team in Adelaide after their recent arrival in Australia.

"We are very excited to welcome both Gary Kirsten and Dan Christian to our coaching staff for the T20 World Cup," Roland Lefebvre, the KNCB's high performance manager, said. "They bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table, which will be of great help in the lead-up to and during the World Cup."

Kirsten has been part of three previous T20 World Cups as a head coach - in 2009 and 2010 with India, and in 2012 with South Africa - but his sides have never progressed as far as the semi-finals. This year, he was batting coach as Gujarat Titans won IPL 2022 but his Welsh Fire side endured a winless season in the Hundred, picking up the wooden spoon.

"I really enjoyed working with the Dutch team in Cape Town and I look forward to joining them as a consultant in the T20 World Cup," Kirsten said. "I was impressed with the level of skill and professionalism during the camp. They will be ready and determined to make a big impact at the T20 World Cup."

Christian was part of Australia's squads for the 2010, 2012 and 2014 T20 World Cups and was a travelling reserve when they won the 2021 edition in the UAE. He has extensive knowledge of conditions at each venue for the 2022 edition as the most-capped player in Big Bash history.

Christian added: "I've had a great couple of weeks getting to know the guys, and I've been extremely impressed with everyone's work ethic at practice. I'm looking forward to seeing them have some well-deserved success on the field."

Netherlands played their first warm-up match on Monday, losing to Scotland by 18 runs, and will play West Indies in Melbourne on Wednesday before travelling to Geelong for their first-round fixtures against UAE, Namibia and Sri Lanka.

They have named an experienced squad for the tournament, with county stalwarts Colin Ackermann and Roelof van der Merwe returning to the national set-up after long absences.