Sharjah, Sep 3 : Former South African cricketer JP Duminy has been named head coach of the ILT20 franchise Sharjah Warriorz ahead of the third season.

Duminy took over the baton from fellow Proteas cricketer and coach Johan Botha, who had led the team in the second edition of the ILT20.

"I am delighted to take up the challenge of being the head coach with Sharjah Warriorz. This is an excellent set-up, which is vibrant and full of optimism and ideas for the upcoming season. We are looking forward to building a strong squad for this year, and we are excited to see what lies in store for us," Duminy said in a statement.

The former South African all-rounder, who was the batting coach for the Warriorz in the previous edition of the ILT20, is among the most experienced cricketers in the T20 format.

The 40-year-old has played 345 matches in the shorter format and has scored 8,331 runs in the time, and boasts of a strike rate that is in excess of 120. The right arm off-break bowler has also picked 99 wickets in his career.

In the franchise cricket, Duminy has plied his trade in the IPL, the CPL and the Pakistan Super League. Duminy, who was an important part of the South African cricket team during his playing days, has also turned out for the likes of Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, the Barbados Tridents and Islamabad United.

The all-rounder is well-versed with the playing conditions in the UAE, the Warriorz mentality, and also brings along his experience of more than 15 years of cricket at the highest level.

Earlier in 2023, Duminy had been appointed as the batting coach for the South African men's white-ball cricket teams, and the team performed brilliantly with the bat at the ODI World Cup in India, where they regularly scored in excess of 300. He has also been the Head Coach at the Paarl Royals in the SA20 league and at the Boland Rocks' provincial team.

"JP Duminy is one of the best minds in the business when it comes to leading the team from the front, and in the third season of ILT20, he has the complete confidence of Capri Sports and Sharjah Warriorz, of course. With this we kick start our preparations this year and look forward to an exciting season with JP Duminy at the helm,' said Kshemal Waingankar, Capri Sports, COO.

/IANS