Newly appointed West Indies cricket coach, Ottis Gibson is to receive a pay package close to US$350,000 annually. This includes salary, housing, vehicle allowances and other benefits. Gibson will assume duties in time for the start of the Digicel Series between the West Indies and Zimbabwe from February 28 to March 14. He will be responsible for all West Indies representative cricket teams and will be expected to provide leadership, guidance and direction to all coaches.

Ottis Gibson

Sources revealed yesterday that Gibson was only given the three-year contract after discussions stalled with former West Indies and T&T player Phil Simmons. Several discussions were held in England in September with the three leading candidates for the job – Gibson, Simmons and Dav Whatmore and then acting Chief Executive Officer of the WICB, Stephen Camacho and WICB Chief Operations Officer Tony Howard.

Simmons, who has a contract with Ireland until 2011, did not accept the job because his work with Ireland was not finished and the WICB was not able to convince the talented allrounder to change his mind.

The WICB thought the team of Gibson and Simmons could have addressed many of the deficiencies in regional cricket. “When Simmons did not respond in a positive way, Gibson was offered the contract and he accepted to be overall head of coaching in the region,” a source close to the WICB said. Incumbent David Williams also applied and was interviewed. He has since been offered the job as Gibson’s assistant. (Trinidad Guardian)