Lance Klusener has been appointed interim Dolphins coach until the end of the current season whereafter his position will be reassessed, the Durban franchise said on Wednesday.
The former Proteas all-rounder replaces Graham Ford, who resigned last week, and has since taken over as the new Sri Lanka national coach.
“KZN Cricket (Pty) Ltd wish to confirm the appointment of Lance Klusener as the interim head coach of the Sunfoil Dolphins,” the Dolphins said in a statement.
“Lance commences with the Sunfoil Dolphins team today, January 25 until the end of March 2012.”
Klusener, 40, has no experience as head coach, though, he has had a consultancy role with Indian Premier League (IPL) outfit Mumbai Indians.
He also completed a level-three coaching course at the Cricket South Africa (CSA) High Performance Centre in Pretoria.
“He brings a wealth of experience from having played the game successfully at every level,” the Dolphins said.
“He is a son of KZN Cricket and we welcome his involvement in a new role as head coach.”
Klusener, nicknamed “Zulu” because of his fluency in the language, is a former fast-medium bowler and explosive lower order hitter who spent his South African domestic career with the Dolphins.
In England he played for English counties, Middlesex, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire, while also holding 49 Tests and 171 ODI appearances for the Proteas between 1996 and 2004.
“Being a former Dolphin, I am very proud of my team and want to be part of the process of rebuilding the team to its rightful place as SA’s number one franchise,” said Klusener.
The Union’s president Fa-eez Jaffar said he hoped Klusener’s past experiences with the province will help the struggling outfit end the season strongly.
“It is a great pleasure to have Lance on board,” said Jaffar.
“We, the board and council of the KZN Cricket Union are committed to ensuring that our players are surrounded by quality coaches.” – Sapa