Zimbabwe Cricket has appointed former Bangladesh coach Courtney Walsh as bowling consultant ahead of the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, reinforcing the team’s preparations with one of the most respected fast-bowling minds in the game. Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) confirmed in a statement that the West Indies legend has already begun working with the squad as it fine-tunes its plans for the global tournament.
Walsh’s appointment brings immense pedigree. Widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers in cricket history, he was the first bowler to reach the landmark of 500 Test wickets, finishing his career with 519 scalps from 132 matches. His longevity, discipline and tactical intelligence made him a cornerstone of West Indies’ dominance during the late 1980s and 1990s. Since retiring from international cricket, Walsh has successfully transitioned into coaching, earning a reputation as a mentor capable of developing both skills and mindset.
Before joining Zimbabwe, Walsh worked with the West Indies senior men’s team and later served as Bangladesh’s bowling coach between 2016 and 2019. During that period, he played a notable role in the development of Bangladesh’s pace resources, working closely with leading bowlers such as Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman across major ICC events. He later took charge as head coach of the West Indies women’s team and, in 2024, served as technical adviser to the Zimbabwe women’s side, laying the groundwork for his return in a senior men’s role.
Speaking after taking up his new position, Walsh expressed optimism about Zimbabwe’s prospects. He emphasised the importance of executing plans, functioning collectively as a unit and adapting quickly to conditions. Walsh also highlighted his early impressions of the squad, noting the encouraging balance and depth within the bowling group.
Zimbabwe’s bowling attack for the T20 World Cup features a mix of pace, seam-bowling all-rounders and spin options, offering Walsh a varied toolkit to refine. The current resources can be summarised as follows:
| Bowling Type | Players |
|---|---|
| Specialist pacers | Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Tinotenda Maposa |
| Seam-bowling all-rounders | Brad Evans, Tashinga Musekiwa |
| Spinners | Wellington Masakadza, Graeme Cremer, Sikandar Raza |
ZC managing director Givemore Makoni said the decision to appoint Walsh was driven by his exceptional mentoring ability and understanding of elite-level preparation. According to Makoni, Zimbabwe needed someone who fully appreciates what it takes to succeed on the global stage. He described Walsh’s knowledge, professionalism and ability to guide players under pressure as invaluable assets as the team sharpens its bowling arsenal.
Zimbabwe have been placed in Group B of the T20 World Cup, alongside Australia, Ireland, Oman and co-hosts Sri Lanka. All four of Zimbabwe’s group matches will be played in Sri Lanka, where conditions are expected to test discipline, variation and adaptability—areas in which Walsh’s experience could prove decisive. With a challenging group and high-quality opposition, Zimbabwe will hope that Walsh’s influence helps transform promise into performance on the world stage.