Albert van der Merwe has been appointed as head coach of Leinster Lightning.
The 37 year-old former Irish international replaces Ted Williamson who stepped down at the end of the summer.
Van Der Merwe played 21 times for Ireland between 2010 and 2012, taking 40 wickets at 22.55, with his finest moment coming in the InterContinental Cup win over Kenya, when his match figures of 11 for 68 spun Ireland to victory.
Speaking after his appointment, Van Der Merwe looked forward to the challenge of continuing Leinster Lightning's domination of the Hanley Energy Inter-Provincial Series.
Huge Lightning welcome to Albert van der Merwe who's been appointed our new Head Coach! Welcome aboard Albie and all the best in the role. pic.twitter.com/AsoPJ7rNE1
— Leinster Lightning (@LCU_Lightning) November 2, 2016
"It is a great honour to step into this role with Leinster Lightning, and naturally I am delighted," he said.
"The opportunity to cut my teeth in a High Performance role is something I relish and am very proud of.
"It is an exciting time for Leinster and Irish cricket with the ICC’s historic decision to elevate the Inter-Provincial status.
"We are now bearing the fruit of the labour of administrators and players over an extended period and the current and future crop will have great opportunities, but also a huge responsibility."
Leinster Lightning have won 10 of the 12 trophies on offer since the series was re-launched in 2013 and the new coach is keen to continue that winning run.
"I look forward to working with captain John Anderson, building on successful seasons under the guidance of Trent Johnston and Ted Williamson," he outlined.
"There is a strong core of established players, along with a talented bunch of young players pushing for recognition.
