Coley in as interim head coach, Estwick and Desai out as assistants

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC):

HEAD COACH of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Academy programme Andre Coley has been reassigned as interim coach of the men’s team for two upcoming tours, but assistant coaches Roddy Estwick and Monty Desai will not have their contracts renewed, CWI announced yesterday.

Coley will oversee the team for the two-Test tour of Zimbabwe from January 28 to February 16 as well as the multiformat tour of South Africa, which includes two Tests, three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals (T20Is), from February 21 to March 28.

The decision followed a meeting of its board of directors on Monday, and Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams said he was a good fit for the job.

“With his wealth of knowledge of the game, player-management skills, dedication, and hard work, as well as attention to detail, we know he is well -equipped,” said Adams of the Jamaican, who will temporarily fill the shoes of Phil Simmons, who resigned following the West Indies’ shocking exit from the group stage of the ICC T20 World Cup in October.

Adams also confirmed that the contracts of Estwick and Desai had ended.

“I’d like to thank Roddy and Monty for their hard work and dedication in supporting the team over the last few years and wish them the very best in the future,” he said.

Coley said he felt honoured to have been chosen for the position.

“To be asked to oversee the West Indies team on the upcoming tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa is a special honour. West Indies cricket holds a special place in my heart,” said the former wicketkeeper-batsman.

“The upcoming assignment will be challenging as we will come up against two teams in their home conditions. We will need to ensure that our planning and preparation are appropriate and demonstrate consistency in the execution of these plans to give ourselves the best opportunity to achieve positive results.”

“The players, I’m sure, are enthusiastic about the opportunities that both series should offer and are eager to contribute to our team’s success. I look forward to the tours ahead and the opportunity to make a tangible and meaningful contribution to the growth of West Indies cricket,” the Jamaican added.

While Coley fulfils the interim role, CWI’s High-Performance Manager Graeme West will oversee the West Indies Academy programme, supported by Adams, to ensure that there are no disruptions to the academy programme during the period, CWI said.

Experienced coach

Coley previously served as head coach of the West Indies U19 team, assistant coach of the West Indies Men’s and Women’s teams, as well as head coach of Jamaica Scorpions and Windward Islands Volcanoes.

In 2016, he was assistant coach of the West Indies Men’s Team, which won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, and earlier this year, he was assistant coach of Jamaica Tallawahs when they captured the Caribbean Premier League title.

Adams welcomed him back to the West Indies dressing room, noting that he is a highly experienced coach who has functioned at every level within the CWI High-Performance Pathway.

“This has prepared him for the job at hand, and we expect he will again approach this new role with the same vigour and zeal which have characterised his time in the CWI coaching system and has earned the respect of players and everyone who he has interacted with,” he said.

West Indies will play the first Test against Zimbabwe February 4-8 and the second set from February 12-16 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

Ahead of the two-Test rubber, they will have a four-day warm-up match against a local side set from January 28 to 31 at Bulawayo Athletic Club.

The tour of South Africa comprises a match against South Africa Invitational XI at Willowmoore Park, Benoni from February 21 to 24; a February 28 to March 4 Test at SuperSport Park, Centurion; a second Test at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, from March 8 to 12; two day/night ODIs at Buffalo Park, East London on March 16 and 18; a third ODI on March 21 at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom; and two T20Is at SuperSport Park, Centurion, on March 25 and 26, followed by a T20I under lights at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, on March 28.