Legendary South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes has been appointed as the new head coach of Sweden’s national cricket. He will permanently move to Sweden with his family to share her expertise and experience with the fast-growing Swedish cricket family.
The Swedish Cricket Federation – which is formally known as Svenska Cricketförbundet, on Thursday (September 10) announced the Jonty Rhodes' employment at the Swedish cricket.
The SCF stated that Rhodes' appointment was part of efforts to invest in junior cricket, high performance, and the growth of sport Sweden, which has seen a 300% increase in cricket participation over the last two years.
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Rhodes, who represented South Africa in over 270 games, is regarded as one of the greatest fielders of all time and has enjoyed short coaching stints with the Proteas, Kenya, and Sri Lanka in his coaching career so far.
He has also been working as the fielding coach of various franchises with the Indian Premier League for many years and currently in the UAE with Kings XI Punjab for the IPL 2020.
On his appointment, Rhodes was quoted as saying by the Federation's website, swedishcricket.org: “I am really excited to relocate to Sweden with my family and work together with the Swedish Cricket community. This opportunity has come at a perfect time and I am grateful to be able to invest my energies in a completely new environment. I can't wait to get started.”
Meanwhile, Benn Harradine, Sports Director of the SCF, said of Rhodes' appointment: “Our growth targets and key areas are directed toward junior cricket and high performance. Jonty will play a pivotal role in lifting our players as well as assisting in securing a quality coaching framework for the future sustainability of the game. I am delighted to have him as part of our small and ambitious team.”
On the other hand, Zalmay Daftani, Chairman of the board of the SCF, stated: “Jonty's appointment comes with great anticipation for the Swedish Cricket Federation. Our goals are to provide a transparent and sustainable platform for our young and talented players and present Sweden as a highly performing competitor within the international arena.”
Noteworthy, Rhodes is expected to travel to Sweden after the IPL 2020 in November since the documentation for residency in the country already completed for him and his family.
