Hampshire have appointed former South Africa international Dale Benkenstein as their new head coach after he ended his nine-year playing career with Durham, the English county cricket side announced on Thursday.
The 39-year-old all-rounder asked to leave Durham after missing most of the 2013 season with a shoulder injury and spending the past few months recovering from surgery in South Africa.
"I'm looking forward to what is going to be a new challenge for me," Benkenstein said.
"It's a brilliant set-up here (at Hampshire). I've spoken to the players and coaches at the club and I'm excited about what's ahead."
Earlier, Benkenstein said that he had enjoyed "being part of the Durham story" and expressed thanks to the club for allowing him to leave in order to pursue a coaching career.
Benkenstein joined Durham in 2005 and is the club's all-time leading scorer with 9,055 first-class runs.
He captained the team from northeast England to victory in the 2007 Friends Provident Trophy and the 2008 County Championship and was a member of the side that retained the County Championship in 2009.
Hampshire director of cricket Giles White said: "We are delighted to have Dale on board. He comes with a wealth of experience and an excellent reputation as a leader. We are looking forward to his involvement."
