Johan Botha named Netherlands consultant for ICC Cricket World Cup League 2

The Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB) has confirmed the appointment of Johan Botha as a consultant to the Netherlands Men's team. The former South Africa captain will join the Dutch set-up for the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series against Namibia and Nepal in Utrecht later this month.

The 44-year-old represented South Africa in five Tests, 78 ODIs and 40 T20Is between 2005 and 2012, captaining the Proteas in both limited-overs formats. The right-arm off-spinner led the side to a 4-1 ODI series win over Australia in 2008-09 during his time at the helm. Since retiring from international cricket, Botha has accumulated coaching experience across franchise leagues, including stints in the Pakistan Super League, the Big Bash League, Major League Cricket, the Caribbean Premier League and with Queensland cricket in Australia.

"I really look forward to joining the Netherlands team in this important period in the World Cup League 2 against Namibia and Nepal. Having tracked their progress over the past few years, it will be great to work with the players, coaches and staff," said Botha, in a statement published by the ICC.

KNCB High Performance Board member Sybrand Engelbrecht welcomed the news, pointing to Botha's coaching track record across global T20 competitions.

"We're very pleased to have Johan on board. He is an extremely experienced coach, with stints in the PSL, CPL, MLC, Big Bash and Queensland cricket," said Engelbrecht.

Botha joins the Netherlands at an important point in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 campaign, with the Dutch, Namibia and Nepal each set to play four matches across the six-game series in Utrecht. The Netherlands squad is expected to be named shortly after July 9.

The Dutch open their campaign against Nepal on July 23, with all six matches at the Kampong Cricket Club beginning at 11:00 AM local time. The series runs through to July 31, when the Netherlands face Namibia in the final fixture.