Andre Coley Will Act As Interim Head Coach For West Indies During Their Tours Of Zimbabwe And South Africa

Following a meeting of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Board of Directors, Andre Coley has been appointed to the position of Interim Head Coach of the West Indies Men’s team for the upcoming tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa.

The Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced that Coley will serve as the tour manager for both the two-Test tour of Zimbabwe, which will take place between 28 January and 16 February, and the multi-format tour of South Africa, which will take place between 21 February and 28 March and include two Tests, three One-Day Internationals (ODIs), and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is).

Simmons’ resignation as coach of the Caribbean squad came after the conclusion of the most recent two-match Test series that was played in Australia. His lengthy stint in that role came to an end.

The West Indies are trying to recover from a spate of dismal performances, one of which was their elimination in the first round from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia. Coley’s arrival on the team comes at a key time as they aim to get back on track after this string of poor performances.

The newly appointed head coach brings a wealth of experience to the position, having previously held the position of assistant coach for the national women’s team and having worked as Simmons’ assistant during the successful run that led the West Indies to victory at the 2016 Men’s T20 World Cup. The West Indies are the reigning champions of the tournament.

Coley, who is currently the head coach of the programmes at the CWI Academy, was previously an assistant coach for the Jamaica Tallawahs, which led to the team’s recent success in winning the Caribbean Premier League.

“We are happy to have Andre back in the West Indies locker room, and we are confident that he will be able to do a good job since he has a lot of knowledge about the game, talents for player management, dedication and hard work, and attention to detail.

In the context of the CWI High-Performance Pathway, he is a highly experienced coach who has worked at every level.

This has prepared him for the job at hand, and we expect that he will again approach this new role with the same vigour and zeal that have characterised his time in the CWI coaching system and have earned the respect of players and everyone who he has interacted with, “as Adams was reported to have said by the ICC.

His debut in the role will come in February, when Coley will lead the West Indies in a two-game Test series against Zimbabwe.

Additionally, during the months of February and March, a white-ball tour of South Africa will provide the former wicketkeeper-batter with the opportunity to demonstrate his qualifications for the top job on a full-time basis.

“The players, I have no doubt, are excited about the opportunities that should be presented in both series, and they are eager to contribute to the accomplishments of our team.

I am excited about the tours that are coming up and the chance to make a contribution that is both visible and significant to the expansion of cricket in the West Indies “as Coley noted.