WITHAM Cricket Club will be hoping to see the benefits of some expert coaching this summer after employing the services of Zimbabwean international Forster Mutizwa.

The 32-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman has Test experience and played a total of 18 times for his country and will be joining Witham to help guide their colts players as well working with more senior members of the club.

He will also be available to play Witham’s Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship division one campaign and first-team skipper Jake Wakelin feels he will be a great asset to the club.

Wakelin said: “We will be having an overseas player this year as we’ve employed Forster Mutizwa as our new club coach and he’ll be available to play for us while he’s here working.

“He is on a professional coaching contract as we believe having someone of his calibre around the club will make a real difference for us as he’ll work with the younger players and also the more senior ones as well.

“If he can improve the standards of individuals then that’s got to be good for us as a club.

“It will also be good to have him available to play on Saturdays as we want to challenge for the title and an overseas player like him will help.

“He’s played Test cricket for Zimbabwe and 18 times for his country in total.

“The decision was taken to bring someone in by myself and chairman Simon Jones.

“We have had all the proper checks done to make sure he is eligible to be here and he is being employed by the club as a coach.

“I don’t agree with someone just coming over to play cricket and Forster’s job will be to be a cricket coach.

“The rules are very strict now on who can come in and we have done everything the right way.

“We have gone to the Home Office, the ECB and the league and got everything checked out so we’re looking forward to having him come in and work with us this year.”

Meanwhile, Wakelin said the club is looking beyond just having first-team success this year, with the seconds hoping to have a promotion campaign that would lift them out of Two Counties Championship division five.

“We are hoping to get the second team promoted up to division four this year,” added Wakelin.

“That’s a big aim for the club because if we can get them a level closer to the first team it will improve the standard that they are playing at so when players are called up into the first team it won’t be as big a step for them.”