Windies reappoint Phil Simmons as head coach after controversially sacking him previously

Sport360 staff 10:28 15/10/2019
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  • Phil Simmons is back for a second spell as Windies coach.

    Former all-rounder Phil Simmons was reappointed as the head coach of West Indies on Monday, just three years after he was sacked from the same post.

    Simmons led West Indies to a historic second World T20 title in 2016 but he was unceremoniously sacked from his head coach position soon after. The then West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) had cited difference in strategic approach and team culture as the reason for removing Simmons from his post.

    Simmons had subsequently sued the board for an unfair dismissal and the coach was offered an apology as well as an undisclosed settlement earlier this year.

    “Bringing Phil Simmons back is not just righting a past wrong, but I am confident that CWI has chosen the right man for the job at the right time,” Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief Ricky Skerritt said in a statement.

    “I want to also thank the very talented Floyd Reifer for the hard work he put in while he was the interim coach,” he added.

    “I am happy, after a very robust recruitment process at the appointment of Phil to the role of Head Coach,” CWI director of cricket Jimmy Adams said on his part.

    “I have no doubt that Phil brings the requisite leadership skills and experience needed to drive improvement across our international squads and I look forward to supporting him in the role.”

    Simmons was earlier serving as the head coach of the Afghanistan cricket team but stepped down from his role after the completion of the 2019 World Cup in England following difference with the Afghan board. The former West Indies player had a highly successful stint with Ireland which included a total of 224 international matches between 2007 and 2015.

    CWI also announced the appointment of three new men’s, women’s and girls’, and boys’ selection panels following a recruitment process that ran parallel to the selection of the new coach.

    The first task of the men’s selection panel will be to choose the team for Windies’ upcoming tour of India where they will first take on Afghanistan before playing against the host nation. The team is slated to play a sole Test, three T20Is and as many ODIs against Afghanistan before they lock horns with India in three ODIs and as many T20Is.

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