Windhoek — Embattled Cricket Namibia have confirmed that Doug Watson will replace incumbent coach Johan Rudolph as the new mentor of the national cricket team as of next Monday.

Rudolph's contract officially ends at the end of this month but all the parties have agreed that the transition period would be in the best interests of all.

Watson has been involved with Namibian cricket for the past two years in various capacities and was selected by an independent panel as the best candidate for Cricket Namibia going forward.

He is a former cricketer with the Natal Dolphins and has played over 139 first-class matches. In a career that spanned over 15 years, he scored 7 692 runs at an impressive average of 36.8.

Watson also has vast coaching experience at a very high level. He was the 2009 IPL tournament assistant coach for the Mumbai Indians (with Jonty Rhodes and Shaun Pollock) and in 2009, 2010 and 2011 he was the Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland team coach.

"I'm extremely privileged and humbled to be the national coach for Cricket Namibia. It's an exciting period of life for me, I believe cricket in Namibia can only go forward, we have an exciting international and South African cricket calendar ahead of us and we'll be looking to achieve our goals and objectives," Watson said.