Cricket South Africa have announced former player Neil Mckenzie as their batting coach until the end of next month's World Twenty20 in India.

Mckenzie, 40, recently retired from the game and has been hired to serve as South Africa batting coach. The Proteas batting line-up has looked scratcy of late and it will be a challenge for him ahead of the WT20.

A reliable middle order batsman, he made his Test and ODI centuries against New Zealand and Sri Lanka respectively during the 2000-01 season. He is regarded as a good player of spin and a strong leg side player during his days.

McKenzie will work with the team in home Twenty20 series against England and Australia, as well as the World Twenty20 that starts on March 8.

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It's been something that we have been trying to do for a long time.

South Africa head coach Russell Domingo told reporters on Wednesday.

"We have explored a few options and finally one guy has committed to us, we are ecstatic that Neil will be joining us.

"He will work with us until the end of the World Cup. Things will be assessed from there, it's the end of the cricket season, and we will look at things going forward."

McKenzie represented South Africa in 58 tests and 64 one-day internationals, as well as 155 domestic Twenty20 games.

South Africa take on England in the first Twenty20 of their two-match series in Cape Town on Friday.