Klusener appointed coach of Durban-based franchise in new CSA T20 league
"This is a new challenge for me. It makes me very proud. I am looking forward to meet the team," he said
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Jul-2022
Lance Klusener has had international coaching experience with Zimbabwe and Afghanistan recently • ICC via Getty Images
Lance Klusener has been signed up as the head coach of the Durban franchise in CSA's new T20 league, which is scheduled for January-February 2023.
"This is a new challenge for me. It makes me very proud. I am looking forward to meet the team," Klusener said in a statement issued by the RPSG group, the owners of the Durban franchise who also own the Lucknow Super Giants team in the IPL.
The appointment is the first by the RPSG group. All the six franchises in the league have been bought by current IPL team owners. The league will be run by CSA in partnership with SuperSport, the TV broadcasters.
Klusener has built a strong coaching career since the end of his playing days and was, in fact, coach of the Durban-based Dolphins in the mid-2010s before moving around the world.
He rejoined the Zimbabwe men's team as a batting coach earlier this year, a role he had performed from 2016 to 2018. Following that, he joined the Afghanistan men's team as their head coach before parting ways with them in late 2021. Klusener has also worked with Khulna Tigers in the BPL and with Bangla Tigers in the Abu Dhabi T10 League in between.
Prior to that, he had also worked with the South Africa team briefly as their assistant batting coach in late 2019, as the head coach of Rajshahi Kings in the BPL, as consultant coach of Indian domestic side Delhi. He also had short stints with South Africa's senior men's side in 2015 and with Mumbai Indians in the IPL in 2011.
As of now, CSA is likely to allow four international players in each playing XI and Indian players are not expected to be available for the league.
The Durban franchise is the second T20 team the RPSG group has acquired in the last 12 months after paying INR 7090 crore (US$ 940 million approx.) to buy the Lucknow franchise in the IPL in October last year.
The owners, or co-owners, of Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals have bought the remaining teams in the competition.