Daren Sammy appointed West Indies white-ball coach; Andre Coley to take cost of Test workforce
Daren Sammy, who led West Indies to 2 T20 World Cup titles, has been named head coach of West Indies’ T20I and ODI groups. Andre Coley, who was West Indies’ interim coach after Phil Simmons resigned, will likely be in command of the Test and West Indies A groups.
Sammy had utilized just for the white-ball job, in line with Kishore Shallow, who took over from Ricky Skerritt as CWI president in March. Shallow additionally stated {that a} whole of 20 purposes from around the globe had come to the board. Former West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who had coached Jamaica Tallawahs to the CPL title in 2022, was amongst those that had utilized for the job. A panel of 5, comprising Jimmy Adams, CWI’s director of cricket, Enoch Lewis, the chair of cricket committee, Oneka Martin-Bird, the board’s HR supervisor, Debra Coryat-Patton, one among CWI’s newly unbiased administrators, and Shallow carried out the interviews.
Sammy’s first task will likely be a three-match ODI sequence towards the UAE in Sharjah in June, which is able to kind part of the preparations for the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe in June-July.
“It will be a challenge but one that I’m ready for and excited about,” Sammy stated in a CWI assertion. “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. I believe I will bring the same approach as I had as a player: the passion, the desire for success, and my undying love for West Indies cricket.
“When I go searching there’s an abundance of expertise, and what I noticed in South Africa within the white-ball matches underneath new captains Shai Hope and Rovman Powell and the management supplied by Andre Coley, there’s nice perception that we will do effectively. I’m wanting ahead to imparting my information, my tactical acumen, my communication expertise and my man-management expertise. I get enthusiastic about placing the plans collectively and seeing the gamers execute them.”
Sammy has coaching experience in the CPL and the PSL, but this will be his first assignment in international cricket. While Sammy is not a certified coach, Shallow pointed out that he fulfilled all the criteria necessary for a coaching role. “There’s a unique set of standards that you understand do not essentially must be a Level 3 [coach],” Shallow said. “It’s superb, however after we undergo the totally different assessments, he definitely certified to be the top coach, which is why he was shortlisted within the first place after which he was interviewed by a panel of 5.”
Sammy’s leadership skills, both as a captain and coach, were central to St Lucia Kings’ recent success in the CPL. In 2020, he beat the odds and captained an unfancied Kings side to the CPL ultimate regardless of Chris Gayle pulling out of the season.
That final was Sammy’s last game in the CPL as a player. In CPL 2021, he was appointed Kings’ T20 cricket consultant and brand ambassador. He worked with coach Andy Flower as part of the backroom staff. Last year, Sammy took over from Flower as head coach and led them to the Eliminator, where Kings lost to eventual champions Tallawahs. Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, allrounder Roston Chase and wicketkeeper-batter Johnson Charles were among the players who flourished under Sammy’s leadership at Kings.
At the PSL, Sammy had coached Peshawar Zalmi in 2020 and 2021 before being reappointed to the post for PSL 2023. Sammy had been a mainstay for the franchise since PSL’s inception in 2016, and had been one of the more recognisable overseas faces for the league.
As for Coley, his first assignment will be the two-match home Test series against India in July. “I’m wanting ahead to the challenges forward, in addition to the alternatives as we sharpen our concentrate on shifting up the Test rankings, and qualifying for the World Test Championship ultimate in June 2025,” Coley said. “I additionally stay up for working with all our stakeholders, deepening relationships and fostering a high-performance mindset.
“I am also excited to be working closely with the ‘A’ team as we seek to optimise opportunities for teams to play competitive cricket outside of our first-class competition and giving players greater exposure to different conditions at the international level. I believe that my expertise in the use of analytics, my leadership style and technical knowledge along with collaborative efforts alongside Daren, will make a positive contribution to player development and team performances.”
Brian Lara, who’s at present with Sunrisers Hyderabad as their head coach within the IPL, will proceed to help West Indies as a performance mentor as his contract runs till January 2024.