West Indies bring back Phil Simmons as new head coach

West Indies have decided to reappoint Phil Simmons as the new head coach, three years after his controversial sacking. He beat out the likes of Desmond Haynes and Floyd Reifer for the job and has been handed a four-year contract.

Simmons was sacked six months after coaching the side to a WT20 triumph in 2016 with the board citing a difference in strategic approach. He then took over the Afghanistan team and coached them with great success in all the formats. He was also the man in charge of the Barbados Tridents franchise as they recently clinched a Caribbean Premier League title.

On the appointment of Simmons, Ricky Skerritt, the CWI president almost apologetically said:

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

Jimmy Adams, CWI’s Director of Cricket was also elated with Simmons’s appointment. He said in a statement:

“I am happy, after a very robust recruitment process at the appointment of Phil to the role of Head Coach. 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 will hope to repeat the exploits from the 2016 campaign during the 2020 WT20 in Australia. West Indies will head into the tournament as the defending champions. They will be one of the favourites with the giant pool of devastating players at their disposal.