Zimbabwe Appoints Mark Coles as Women’s Team Head Coach

Zimbabwe have turned to a seasoned international hand to steer their women’s team into a new phase, appointing New Zealander Mark Coles as head coach after what Zimbabwe Cricket described as a “rigorous recruitment process.”

His first assignment will be historic. Coles is set to lead Zimbabwe in a five-match T20I series against South Africa, the first time the two women’s sides have ever met in an international series. All five games will be staged at Bulawayo’s Queens Sports Club, starting Friday, September 11.

A Coach with Miles on the Clock

Coles arrives with a bulging coaching passport. He has previously headed the women’s teams of Pakistan and Scotland, and also spent time working with the Scottish men’s side. His career has taken him into high-performance management with Cricket Papua New Guinea and into consultancy roles in Australia, shaping programmes and sharpening standards across several cricketing outposts.

That breadth of experience is exactly what Zimbabwe Cricket believes the women’s game in the country now needs.

“Mark Coles brings extensive international coaching and high-performance experience, as well as a strong understanding of the demands of the women’s game,” said ZC Chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani, underlining why the board moved for the New Zealander.

Mukuhlani stressed that Coles will not be working in isolation, but as part of a wider push to professionalise the women’s pathway.

“Together with the technical and support staff appointed across our senior and Under-19 structures, we believe he will help us build a competitive team and establish a clear pathway for sustained success. We are confident that this group will help Zimbabwe women’s cricket continue to grow and compete strongly on the international stage.”

Building a Backroom to Match the Ambition

Coles will have a defined support team at his side. Rangarirai Manyande steps in as Assistant Coach with a focus on batting, while Trevor Phiri takes charge of fielding. Between them, they are tasked with tightening the basics and lifting intensity in the two areas that often decide T20 contests: scoring quickly and saving runs.

The timing of the appointment is no accident. With South Africa arriving for a full T20I series, Zimbabwe are walking straight into a searching examination of their skills, temperament and depth. It is exactly the kind of test a new head coach relishes.

For Coles, the challenge is clear: turn promise into performance, and do it quickly, under the lights at Queens Sports Club, against one of Africa’s established powers.