Former Cape Cobras batsman Andrew Puttick has been hired as assistant coach for South Africa A’s tour of India this month and the next.

Puttick has replaced Lions head coach Enoch Nkwe with South Africa A, with Nkwe elevated to interim team director for the Proteas.

The veteran Puttick ended a near 20-year first-class career in 2018 and was later appointed Cobras batting coach.

‘I think one needs to be observant and then flexible. Every batsman has his own methods, technique and personality. One then needs patience to build up the relationship and trust – from there my goal is to make a batsman more effective at scoring runs,’ he said at the time of the franchise appointment.

‘Slight technical adjustments are needed but it is more about helping batsmen with game plans, building confidence and batting smarter.

‘My aim is to offer guidance and practical skills to the batsmen and I want to try and enhance the levels of improvement of batsmen in the structures through the levels, so that there will be strength in depth and competition for places and players moving on to be successful in international cricket.’

Among the batsmen Puttick has mentored at the Cobras is the talented Kyle Verreynne, who has been added to the South Africa A squad to replace the injured Gihahn Cloete.

The 22-year-old Verreynne was the second-highest run-scorer in the 2018-19 One-Day Cup, with 453 in nine innings at an average of 64.71.

The Cape Cobras star also collected 583 runs in 15 innings at an average of 44.84 during the 2018-19 4-Day Franchise Series.

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