Wandile Gwavu continues rise with Proteas coaching appointment

Gwavu, who took on the fielding duties during the Proteas' inbound limited-overs tours against West Indies and the Netherlands this past summer, joins head coach Rob Walter's team on a full-time basis alongside batting coach JP Duminy.

The 36-year-old took over as head coach of the Lions in 2019 and was named Domestic Coach of the Season in his first year in charge, before leading the Highveld team to five titles in four seasons – the most by any Lions coach.

He was also assistant coach to both the Jozi Stars in the Mzansi Super League, and Joburg Super Kings in the inaugural SA20 earlier this year, and also enjoyed national spells with the SA U19s and SA A side.

Hailing from Langa, Cape Town, Gwavu played age-group cricket for Eastern Province and was part of their academy before he took up coaching over a decade ago.

"We are pleased to confirm Wandile as the fielding coach for the Proteas Men's limited-overs team," confirmed CSA director of cricket Enoch Nkwe in a statement on Friday.

"He brings a wealth of experience at the highest level in South African cricket with a coaching career that speaks volumes.

"With the fine margins and the ever-increasing stakes in 50-over and T20 cricket, fielding has become a critical part of any successful team and we strongly believe Wandile's expertise will help the Proteas maintain their strong tradition of fielding excellence across both formats.

"Wandile also permanently joins the set-up during an exciting period as the team transition into a crucial preparatory phase ahead of the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in India later this year."