Ottis Gibson confirmed as West Indies coach

Ottis Gibson will take over as West Indies coach in time for the home series against Zimbabwe later this month. The WICB chief executive Ernest Hilaire has confirmed reports that Gibson left his post as England's bowling coach to take up the vacancy created by the sacking of John Dyson last year.

"Ottis will begin his appointment from the start of the home series against Zimbabwe," Hilaire said in a CBC Radio interview. "I think we need to take Ottis' appointment in stride. He will be the head coach of the WICB, and not just head coach of the senior team. He will have responsibility for coaching right across all of our representative cricket teams.

"This will give him an opportunity to stamp a particular style of coaching a West Indies way across all the teams. This is really important because by the time our players reach the senior team, they should be the finished article, and they really ought to be focussing mainly on their strategy, tactics, how they win games, and being able to execute."

Gibson approached the ECB on Monday and asked to be released from his contract so that he could take up the new role. "Ottis has been a valuable member of my management team and we will all be sorry to see him leave," Andy Flower, the head coach, said. "However we recognise that being offered the chance to be head coach of your country was an offer that would be hard for Ottis to resist. We wish him well in the future."

The interim West Indies coach David Williams will remain in charge for the one-day tour of Australia, which starts over the next week, before becoming Gibson's assistant. The Zimbabwe series begins with a Twenty20 international in Trinidad on February 28 and Hilaire said it was important to give Gibson time to stamp his mark on the team.

"I think this has to be a long-term project," he said. "This is not a short-term project. We are not asking Ottis to turn around the West Indies fortunes and make them a winning team overnight. There has to be a gradual chain of development."

A fast-bowling allrounder during his playing days, Gibson represented West Indies in two Tests and 15 one-day internationals, and had a long first-class career in the Caribbean, South Africa and England. He coached within the ECB academy system before taking on the role as England's bowling coach in 2007.

"I will always be grateful to the ECB for the opportunities they gave me as a bowling coach and in particular to Peter Moores for offering the role," Gibson said. "I would like to thank Andy Flower as well for all the advice, encouragement and support he has given me in the last year. It was a privilege to be a part of such an outstanding and successful team.

"I am really excited about the new challenge and I am very happy to be involved in West Indies cricket again. West Indies cricket has always been my passion. I was excited as a player to represent the West Indies and I am honoured to be appointed as the head coach.

"It is a privilege and I am really looking forward to working with the West Indies and everyone involved in West Indies cricket. I fully understand what cricket means to the people of the region and I hope in time we can make cricket in the West Indies strong again."

Hilaire added that Gibson's experience made him the best candidate as West Indies aim to rebuild after another fractious period where there remain ongoing issues between the board and the players.

"We hope that with him responsible for all coaching, he can start outlining to the coaches of all our teams the kind of players and approaches he wants from the players to ensure there is a clear career pathway as they move from the junior ranks to the senior team.

"He is a new era coach, and someone who has been exposed to all of the technologies and new approaches to coaching. We are hoping that he will bring to this task, an understanding of West Indies cricket. He will have all requisite knowledge and skills."