Former Proteas fast bowler, Mfuneko Ngam, has been appointed senior Border cricket coach for the 2019/2020 season.
Mfuneko played three Tests for South Africa between 2000 and 2001 before his career was cut short by an injury.
He most recently served as the assistant coach for the Warriors and the bowling coach for the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants.
He has also headed a successful cricket academy at the University of Fort Hare.
He has worked in various coaching capacities since his retirement, including at Cricket South Africa High-Performance Programmes and was the Head Coach for the SA Rural Team for four years.
He started an academy in Motherwell, Port Elizabeth, and holds a Level 4 coaching qualification. He was also the Convenor of Selectors for Border Cricket, before taking up the assistant coach position in Port Elizabeth.
“We look forward to welcoming Mfuneko back to our region and we are confident that he will add much value to our young cricketers and impart his thorough knowledge in the lives of our aspiring Border cricketers," said CEO of Border Cricket Thando Booi.
Playing career
A fast bowler, Ngam played his first five first class matches for the Eastern Province B team, but in his third season he was selected for the South Africa A tour of the Caribbean, where the team's co-coach, Shukri Conrad, said he was an "outstanding performer".
Three months later, Ngam was called up to the squad in the Third Test against New Zealand in 2000–01, as fast bowler Allan Donald struggled with injury, and he made his debut on 8 December 2000, taking two for 34 in a match cut down to two days by the rain.
A week later, Ngam was offered a Category C contract. He played South Africa's two next Test matches in the home series with Sri Lanka, taking nine wickets before the first of a series of stress fractures struck. When he eventually returned to the South African Test team for a tour of New Zealand in 2003–04, he suffered another stress fracture four days after being called up to the side.
After returning from injury, Ngam moved from Eastern Province to play for the Dolphins.
He took 22 wickets in the 2004–05 season, his best seasonal haul in first class cricket to that date. In 2006–07, his last first-class season, he took 16 wickets at 34.00 in eight matches.
He played one List A match for Eastern Province in 2007–08.
The Border team play their first match of the season in the Africa T20 Cup in September.
Source: EWN