Morne Morkel, a former Proteas fast bowler, was named to New Zealand Cricket's women's coaching group on Sunday, ahead of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa next month.
Morkel, who was a member of Namibia's coaching staff for the recent men's T20 World Cup in Australia, will join the White Ferns as Tour Coach, providing fast bowling and general coaching support throughout the tournament.
The former South African bowler, who will join the group ahead of New Zealand's first pool match against Australia, expressed excitement about the opportunity to coach in the women's game.
"It was a no-brainer for me to join the White Ferns group and get involved in the women's game," Morkel was quoted as saying by New Zealand Cricket.
"The women's game is rapidly growing around the world, and this is a fantastic opportunity for me to gain experience in the women's game and share my knowledge of international cricket to help this team improve," he said.
Morkel, a three-format international, represented South Africa in 86 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 44 T20s between 2006 and 2018, taking 544 wickets. He played in eight World Cups and numerous domestic leagues around the world, including the Indian Premier League, the Vitality Blast, and the Big Bash.
However, this will be his first assignment with a female team.
"I've been paying close attention to the women's game and the White Ferns in recent years, especially since moving to Australia and seeing their players compete in the Women's Big Bash. It's a talented group of players with an exciting pace bowling attack that I'll be able to assist Ben (head coach Ben Sawyer) with "He went on to say.
Morkel expressed excitement about joining the team for an exciting World Cup campaign.
"I know a lot about the South African conditions and have spent a lot of time working here in the past year, so that's some important knowledge that I'll be able to share with this group during the tournament. c Playing in a World Cup is always an exciting experience, so I'm looking forward to sharing that with the group and assisting them in reaching their goals.
"I'm really looking forward to meeting the group and getting started when they arrive in South Africa," he said.
Morkel, according to White Ferns head coach Ben Sawyer, will bring valuable knowledge of South African conditions to the group.
"We're really excited to have Morne join the group for the World Cup," said Sawyer. "Morne had an outstanding international record as a player, and his first-hand experience in major international tournaments, coupled with his knowledge of the conditions in South Africa, will make him a huge asset.
"We're looking forward to welcoming Morne into the group and supporting him with his coaching development in South Africa."
The White Ferns will name their squad for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup on Friday, before departing for South Africa on January 23.