Johannesburg – 13 March 2026:
Lions Cricket is proud to announce that DP World Lions Men’s Head Physiotherapist, Ziyaad Mohammed, has been selected to tour New Zealand with the Proteas Men’s national team. His appointment reflects both personal excellence and the continued strength of the Lions Cricket high-performance medical programme.
Mohammed’s selection follows a strong tradition of Lions Cricket medical staff contributing at the highest level of the game. In recent years, Dr Dhavina Naidoo has represented South Africa’s cricket structures across multiple national squads, including the Proteas Men’s Team, the Proteas Women’s Team, and the U19 Women’s Team — highlighting the depth and calibre of expertise within the Lions Cricket medical department.
The Lions Cricket medical programme operates within an integrated Performance Matrix framework, designed to cultivate both individual expertise and long-term programme sustainability. This structure enables the franchise to maintain continuity through strategic succession planning across all levels of the organisation.
In line with this approach, Timothy Fester, who currently serves as Physiotherapist for the Lions Academy and Colts, will step into the senior setup during Mohammed’s time away, seamlessly assuming responsibilities with the DP World Lions Men’s team for the duration of the New Zealand tour.
“World-class Sports Science and Sports Medicine excellence is what we strive for at Lions Cricket,” said Lions Cricket CEO Jono Leaf-Wright. “The growth of the Pride’s medical staff has been remarkable to witness and testament to a medical structure and pipeline that are built on integrated performance matrices and clear performance indicators. Seeing it all translate into consistent national selections is immensely rewarding. Congratulations to both Ziyaad and Timothy on their achievements and on the outstanding work they deliver behind the scenes every single day.”
The outbound five-match T20 International (T20I) series against New Zealand takes place from 15 – 25 March 2026.