Cricket West Indies to split head coaching roles

CRICKET West Indies (CWI) announced that the role of head coach for the West Indies senior men’s teams will be split into two separate positions.

A CWI media release on Wednesday, said, “Recruitment for both head coach roles will start immediately for a red ball head coach for Test and ‘A’ Team cricket, as well as a white ball head coach for One-Day Internationals (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) cricket.”

CWI’s director of cricket Jimmy Adams, explaining why the decision was made, said, "After recently completing an independent review of our 2022 International Cricket Council World Cup performance, which included a closer look at the roles of the current head coach position, we believe it is now necessary to split the role and engage separate coaches for red and white ball formats. The increased frequency of back-to-back multi-format tours combined with the specific demands of the respective formats no longer provides enough time for one individual to adequately plan, prepare and review across bilateral series and franchise itineraries that are so condensed.”

Adams added, “Separating the roles will also provide the head coaches with more time to oversee players' ongoing development away from tours directly and through increased engagement and planning with suitable high-performance programmes and coaches.”

The World Cup review group was appointed by CWI to conduct a comprehensive review of the West Indies men’s team’s early exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia last year. The Group was chaired by Justice Patrick Thompson Jnr, a High Court Judge of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, and included West Indies batting legend Brian Lara and former South African, Pakistan and Sri Lankan international coach Mickey Arthur.

The position of West Indies men’s head coach became vacant when Phil Simmons resigned following the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup, and subsequently relinquished the post following the end of the West Indies tour of Australia last December. Andre Coley is the current interim head coach of West Indies.

“Recruitments for both head coach positions are expected to commence shortly,” the CWI release said.