Middlesex have appointed interim head coach Dane Vilas.
Vilas played six Tests and one T20I for South Africa from 2012 to 2016 before joining Lancashire in English county cricket. More recently, he played for the Paarl Royals in the SA20.
Vilas’ application for the role of Western Province Cricket Association chief executive officer was unsuccessful in 2024.
“I am delighted to welcome Dane to the club as our interim first-team coach,” said Middlesex director of cricket Alan Coleman.
“He has a wealth of experience to offer our squad, and I believe that we will all benefit from his presence and leadership across the rest of this season.
“Though Dane is still early in his coaching career, having only finished playing for Lancashire in 2023, I am confident that his leadership presence, competitive edge and experience of all formats, including franchise cricket, will have a huge impact on our squad.
“It is the leadership qualities that were evident when he captained Lancashire that drew me towards Dane. The teams that he has led played hard, committed, never-say-die cricket and I believe that is a style that will resonate well with our players, staff group and members.
“Dane will be supported by what I believe is an exceptional coaching team of Rory Coutts, Tim Murtagh and Ian Salisbury, who all bring variety and wide-ranging knowledge to our team.
“I am sure you will all joining me in welcoming Dane over the coming weeks as we look forward to the rest of our season. There is still a lot to play for and I am excited to see where our talented playing group can take us.”
Vilas has been appointed at Middlesex after former head coach Richard Johnson’s exit earlier this month. Middlesex have won two of seven County Championship fixtures this season. In the T20 Blast, they have won one of six matches.
Vilas added: “It’s an absolute honour to be here. Lord’s is such a special place and I’m looking forward to getting started with the squad. The potential is endless for the group and I’ll be keen to harness that and help grow their careers.
“I’ve got good relationships with Rory Coutts, Tim Murtagh and Ian Salisbury, so to have the four of us together is fantastic and I’m really looking forward to it.”