Amstelveen, May 13 (IANS) Former South Africa cricketer Pierre de Bruyn will take charge as the new coach of the Netherlands women’s cricket team from August 1.

He will take over from Neil MacRae, who returns to the Jersey men’s side after the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup takes place in England from June 12 to July 5.

De Bruyn played professionally in the South African domestic circuit until 2010, before moving into coaching. He was head coach of English county side Leicestershire in 2016 and guided Namibia’s men to their first Men’s T20 World Cup qualification in 2021. Most recently, he served as head coach of the Titans women’s team in South Africa from April 2025.

“I am very excited to get started with the Dutch squad, a talented group that managed to qualify for the big stage which is a great achievement. It illustrates the willpower and potential of these players. I want to thank Dr Jacques Faul (CEO) and Titans Cricket for the support during my time at Titans Cricket and wish the team all the best for the future,” said de Bruyn in a statement by Royal Dutch Cricket Association on Wednesday.

Outgoing coach MacRae reflected on his tenure and wished de Bruyn good luck. “It has been great to work with the Netherlands women’s team, with qualification for the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup the culmination of two years of hard work and dedication by the players. We wish Pierre every success in continuing the development of the team as he leads them in the next phase of their journey.”

Netherlands qualified for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup via a qualification tournament in Nepal earlier this year. They will face Bangladesh, India, Australia, South Africa and Pakistan in Group 1 clashes on June 14, 17, 20, 25 and 27, respectively.

KNCB High Performance Director Ryan Cook said, “The women’s team has been on an upward trajectory for the past few years under Neil’s leadership, which has resulted in the first-ever qualification for the World Cup.

“We thank him for his contribution and as we look to continue this momentum and progression, we are excited to have attracted Pierre as a top international coach with an impressive track record who we believe can take the team to the next level.”

–IANS

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