Zimbabwe have boosted their preparations for the 2026 Men’s World T20 Cup by appointing legendary former West Indian fast bowler Courtney Walsh to their support staff.
Walsh has already started working with the squad as Zimbabwe ramp up their preparations for the global tournament, where they will feature in Group B alongside Australia, Ireland, Oman and Sri Lanka.
The upcoming edition marks Zimbabwe’s return to the T20 World Cup after missing out on the 2024 tournament after failing to qualify through the Africa Qualifier in 2023. This time, however, the African side faced no such setback and secured qualification through the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier 2025 along with Namibia.
In response to his appointment, Walsh expressed his excitement about working with Zimbabwe’s bowling unit and highlighted the team’s untapped potential.
“I am very excited about the opportunity to work with Zimbabwe and I am really looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead. I believe we have a very good chance if we execute our plans well, work together as a team and adapt to the conditions. From what I have seen, the combination of the bowling attack is impressive and there is a lot of potential in the team,” Walsh said in a press release.
Cricket Zimbabwe CEO Givemore Makoni said the decision to bring Walsh on board was aimed at strengthening the team’s technical expertise ahead of the exhibition event.
“Courtney Walsh brings unparalleled experience and knowledge from the highest level of international cricket, particularly in fast bowling. As we prepare for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, it was important to bring in someone who understands what it takes to succeed on the global stage. Courtney’s knowledge, professionalism and ability to mentor players will be invaluable,” said Makoni.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of the game, Walsh represented the West Indies between 1984 and 2001, taking 519 wickets in 132 Test matches and became the first bowler to reach the milestone of 500 Test wickets.
Since retiring, the Jamaican has held several high-profile coaching roles, including as head coach of the West Indies women’s team and as a specialist bowling coach for the Bangladesh men’s side. In April 2024, he was also appointed technical consultant to the Zimbabwe Women’s National Team.
Zimbabwe will open their World T20 campaign against Oman at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on February 9 before taking on Australia at the R. Premadasa Stadium on February 13.
– The end
Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
January 17, 2026