Simmons, Gibson in line to fill coaching vacancy

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Two former West Indies players – currently nestled in rewarding coaching positions – are the front-runners to become the new coach of the West Indies team.

A West Indies Cricket Board source has indicated that Phil Simmons, the former Trinidad & Tobago captain and West Indies all-rounder, and Ottis Gibson, the former Barbados and West Indies fast bowler, will be approached in the coming days to find out their interest in the job.

The West Indies coaching position became vacant, after John Dyson was sacked by the WICB well short of the end of his contract.

But the regional governing body is looking into the possibility of Simmons giving up his post with the Ireland national team, and Gibson ending his stint as England bowling coach to return to the Caribbean and try to revive the West Indies’ fortunes.

“The WICB would like to appoint a coach within the next two months or so, and hence the selection process has started,” the source told the CMC Sports Wire.

David Williams, the assistant coach of the West Indies team, has been asked to take over in the interim for the ICC Champions Trophy next month in South Africa.

Dyson departs after West Indies’ calamitous Test and one-day series defeats to Bangladesh. West Indies fielded a severely depleted team following a dispute between the WICB and the West Indies Players’ Association over contracts.

Dyson assumed the post two years ago from fellow Australian Bennett King, and was contracted until November next year, but the directors chose to part ways with him at their last meeting a fortnight ago.

No official reason was given for the separation, but information reaching CMC suggested that it stemmed from a contractual row as well.

Under Dyson, West Indies won three Tests, drew seven, and lost nine – culminating in four straight losses to England and Bangladesh – and a 9-25 win-loss ratio in One-day Internationals.

They lost nine of their final 10 completed 50-over matches against England, India, and Bangladesh.

The West Indies fared better in the 20-over format, advancing to the semi-final of the Twenty20 World Cup in June.  But perhaps their greatest achievement under Dyson was their 1-0 Test series victory over England in February – a result that secured them a brief hold on the Wisden Trophy for the first time in 11 years.