Righting a past wrong

RICKY SKERRITT, president of Cricket West Indies (CWI), says the choice of 56-year-old ex-TT and WI all-rounder Phil Simmons as WI men’s team coach is a case of “righting a past wrong”.

The 56-year-old Simmons was reappointed as WI coach yesterday, according to a media release from CWI.

Skerritt, in yesterday’s media release, said, “Bringing Simmons back is not just righting a past wrong, but I am confident that CWI has chosen the right man for the job at the right time. I want to also thank the very talented Reifer for the hard work he put in while he was the interim coach.”

Simmons, who guided the Barbados Tridents to victory in the 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title, on Saturday, served as WI coach from April 2015 to September 2016 before he was fired by the Dave Cameron-led CWI for “differences in culture and strategic approach.”

And Skerritt, after he was elected as CWI president earlier this year, stressed his desire to mend fences with Simmons and a number of players who were not considered for selection during Cameron’s tenure.

Simmons, who previously held coaching roles with Zimbabwe (2004-2006), Ireland (2006-2015) and Afghanistan (2016-2019), has been given a four-year contract.

He got the nod from the CWI recruitment panel (which included CWI vice-president Dr Kishore Shallow, director of cricket Jimmy Adams, human resources manager Oneka Martin-Bird, independent director Debra Coryat-Patton, director Enoch Lewis and independent consultant Dr Rudi Webster, ahead of ex-WI captains Barbadians Floyd Reifer (previously interim coach) and Desmond Haynes.

In an interview published in yesterday’s Newsday, Simmons said, “I would love to be back. We are all hoping for good news.”

Former TT captain and West Indies cricket team vice-captain Deryck Murray and Baldath Mahabir, former TT Cricket Board and WI Cricket Board (now Cricket West Indies) director, are both urging Simmons to focus on rebuilding the fortunes of WI cricket, similar to what he accomplished at both Ireland and Afghanistan.

Murray, the former WI wicketkeeper and manager, commented, “I hope he does a good job. He’s been very successful in the other countries that he has lifted while he was their coach, particularly Ireland and Afghanistan, who both achieved Test status.

“I hope he would be given the opportunity to express himself and that would be to the benefit of West Indies cricket.”

According to Mahabir, “I think it’s a natural progression for Simmons to be the West Indies coach. He had an unfinished tenure. It’s about bringing completion to something that he started. It’s almost (as if) the coach (can) press the restart button and start the journey of rebuilding West Indies cricket. I think the timing is right and I want to wish him all the best.”

Asked what Simmons can bring to the table as WI coach, Murray replied, “He has always been a team-oriented person. He’s very focussed on getting the best of the individuals, as a collective group, as a team, to work for a common, unified position. I’m sure he would bring that to bear on his charges.”

Mahabir pointed out, “We have to understand that we’re not the powerhouse that we used to be, and we have to look at the developmental side of our game.

“I would have liked the fact that he worked with a developing nation to build their game and he must almost see the West Indies team as rebuilding like something similar that he did in the past. His resume would probably fit something that we should be doing in the West Indies now,” he added.

The WI team will be heading to India to face both Afghanistan (three T20 Internationals, three One Day Internationals and a Test) and hosts India (three T20Is and three ODIs) from November to mid-December.

Murray pointed out, “His experience in the CPL will be very recent. We’re going on a different type of tour. Representing your country is different from representing all these franchises.

“It’s really to pull together the West Indies team for the benefit of West Indies cricket, with the purpose of lifting WI image and status back to where it’s supposed to be.”

Mahabir believes that Simmons’ appointment was virtually a guarantee, regardless of his work with the Tridents.

“I think that was a done deal even before the Tridents,” said Mahabir. “His track record and his resume would probably have given him the edge.

“What I would like to see him do is work more collaboratively with the persons in West Indies cricket, at all levels, (and) try to build a relationship that is smooth and transformational, and not one that has any kind of animosity,” Mahabir continued. “Build with the administrators, build with the players, build with the territorial boards. I’m hoping that he brings a 360 view to the table.”