Thaindian News

London, Feb 2 (IANS) Ottis Gibson has been confirmed as the head coach of West Indies cricket team for their upcoming series against Zimbabwe.
The former West Indies all-rounder, who played two Tests and 15 One-day internationals, has been England’s bowling coach since late 2007.

“Ottis will begin his tenure from the home series against Zimbabwe,” West Indies Cricket Board chief executive Ernest Hilaire was quoted as saying in The Telegraph.

Gibson replaces the sacked John Dyson for the post.

The Windies will play a Twenty20 international against the African side February 28, followed by five One-day internationals.

They are in action in five ODIs and two Twenty20s against Australia before that date, with interim coach David Williams remaining in charge for those games before becoming Gibson’s assistant.

“I think we need to take Ottis’ appointment in stride. He will be the head coach of the WICB, and not just head coach of the senior team,” Hilaire said.

“He will have responsibility for coaching right across all of our representative cricket teams. This will give him an opportunity to stamp a particular style of coaching, a West Indies way, across all the teams.

“This is really important because by the time our players reach the senior team, they should be the finished article, and they really ought to be focusing mainly on their strategy, tactics, how they win games, and being able to execute.

Hilaire indicated that Gibson’s association with West Indies board will be long term.

“I think this has to be a long-term project. We are not asking Ottis to turn around the West Indies fortunes and make them a winning team overnight. There has to be a gradual chain of development.

“He is a new era coach, and someone who has been exposed to all of the technologies and new approaches to coaching. We are hoping that he will bring to this task an understanding of West Indies cricket. He will have all requisite knowledge and skills,” he said.

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