Daren Sammy and Andre Coley appointed West Indies head coaches as the former cricketing powerhouse adopts a 'new approach' to try and turnaround on field results
Sammy handed white-ball job in Windies coaching shake-up
West Indies have appointed allrounder and T20 World Cup-winning captain Daren Sammy as their new coach for the white-ball teams with Andre Coley taking over the Test side.
The Windies cricket board (CWI) made the double announcement on Friday.
Splitting the coaching role was recommended to help improve team preparation following an independent review of West Indies crashing out in the first round of the T20 World Cup last year in Australia.
"The introduction of separate coaches signals the start of a new approach for the West Indies men's teams, and we know it will enable greater focus on player communication, team planning and preparation to the benefit of our players and West Indies cricket," CWI chief executive Johnny Grave said in a statement.
Sammy, 39, captained both the Test and white-ball West Indies teams and led the Caribbean side to two T20 World Cup titles in 2012 and 2016.
Image Id: AF67C16D1159480CA6164E39BD937285 Image Caption: Sammy is presented with the 2012 T20 World Cup trophy // AFP"It will be a challenge but one that I'm ready for and excited about," he said.
"I'm really looking forward to the opportunity, especially looking at the players we have and the impact that I believe I can have in the dressing room.
"When I look around there is an abundance of talent. And what I saw in South Africa, in the white-ball matches under new captains Shai Hope and Rovman Powell, and the leadership provided by Andre Coley, there is great belief that we can do well."
Coley, a former wicketkeeper for Jamaica, was interim head coach of the red-ball side when West Indies toured Zimbabwe and South Africa earlier this year. He will also coach the West Indies A team.
"I am looking forward to the challenges ahead, as well as the opportunities as we sharpen our focus on moving up the test rankings and qualifying for the World Test Championship Final in June 2025," Coley said.
Sammy has the first assignment, three ODIs against the United Arab Emirates in June.
The West Indies are yet to qualify for the ODI World Cup in India in October and will need to do so through a 10-team qualification tournament in Zimbabwe beginning next month where only the top two teams will progress.
Coley's Test side has a two-match home series against India slated for July-August this year before returning to Australia for a second straight summer for another two-match series in January.