Trinidad Guardian – Cricket West Indies (CWI) has made some sweeping changes to their management team as they bid to improve on the performances of the regional outfit.
After news that bowling coach Roddy Estwick has been removed, comes further news that manager of the team Joel Garner has been reassigned to another portfolio. Guardian Media Sports understands from a source who is close to the latest developments and who spoke to us on the condition of anonymity that Garner has been reassigned to the role of ambassador of CWI and will be utilised for special projects. The ambassador role is in line with other big cricket boards around the world. Barbadian Garner will be replaced by former West Indies leg-spinner Rawle Lewis who has been with CWI for quite a while in the operations department.
Lewis of Grenada managed the team during the successful World T20 run in 2016.
Estwick, who replaced the legendary Curtly Ambrose in 2016, is expected to be replaced by a foreign bowling coach and his role will either go to Ian Harvey out of Australia or Alfonso Thomas out of South Africa. The two are the leading contenders for the job and a decision on who wins out will be made later this week. Head coach, the Australian Stuart Law remains in his position. Englishman Toby Radford will remain in his role as assistant coach to Law.
The source also revealed that the next fast bowling coach either Thomas or Harvey will also be working with the West Indies Under-19 team and A teams.
CWI has embarked on these changes before the team leaves for the ICC World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe in March. The Windies will be looking to win the 10-team tournament and head into the World Cup that is to be played in England in 2019.
The team has not been returning good performances over the last year or so after regional teams won three titles in 2016. They won the ICC Men’s World T20, the Women’s World T20 and the ICC U-19 World Cup titles. Since then they have lost to Australia, Pakistan, England and New Zealand and is now ranked eighth in Test cricket and 9th in ODI. In the shorter format the Windies continue to hold their own.
