'Unity and strength' key for West Indies - Gibson

Ottis Gibson, West Indies' incoming coach, believes there is sufficient talent in the region to turn the fortunes of Caribbean cricket around, despite the ignominy of their bruising one-day tour of Australia, in which they failed to win a single match in either the 50 or 20-over format.

Gibson, who arrived in Antigua this week to meet with WICB officials, has had a number of conversations with the captain Chris Gayle ahead of taking up his position for the visit of Zimbabwe, which starts with a Twenty20 in Trinidad on February 28. He joins a threadbare team stripped of key players through injury, which has won just two of their last 24 matches since reaching the World Twenty20 semi-finals in June, amid the lingering threat of disputes between the board and players' association.

But Gibson wants to leave the conflicts behind and draw on the qualities that made West Indies the dominant force in world cricket for nearly two decades. He is realistic enough to know that it is too much to ask to replicate that success, but wants the current crop of players to show the same determination which can bring a region of sovereign countries together as one group.

"In West Indies the key is unity and strength and it always has been," Gibson told Cricinfo. "During the 1980s and 1990s when West Indies were strong, I'm sure there were differences within the team, but the players pulled together and Clive Lloyd, way back in the 80s, was able to get them to come together for a common cause.

"It worked and the players went on to create a piece of history for West Indies cricket, and that's my message to this generation of players. If we can find that unity and strength, get together as a region and be strong, there's no reason why we can't start again to forge our own little place in history for this group of players. They are very talented and we need to let our cricket come to the fore."

The team that was humbled in Australia was virtually a shadow side, with the list of absentees leaving vast holes. Shivnarine Chanderpaul has now returned to domestic action and is on track for a comeback, as is Ramnaresh Sarwan, but Gibson is also hoping the pace duo of Jerome Taylor and Fidel Edwards can return to the set-up before too long. Throw in the allround talents of Dwayne Bravo and suddenly there is a strong nucleus for a competitive team.

While admitting the recent one-day results have been tough to watch, Gibson would rather draw on the encouraging performances the team produced in the Tests against Australia, when they pushed the home team hard in Adelaide and Perth having been soundly beaten in Brisbane.

"That was part of the reason why I was happy to take the job in the first place," Gibson said. "People will see what has happened now and think we are struggling, and we are, but at the same time if you look at the players we have out injured, if those guys get fit again, then it will make a huge difference.

"You take players like that out of any side and the team will struggle, but when they get home we will sit down and do a bit of a review, put the series to bed, then look forward to the series against Zimbabwe and the Twenty20 World Cup."

Gibson also sees cause for optimism in the young talent coming through the system, after West Indies finished third at the recent Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. Now his challenge is to ensure there is a system in place to nurture those players and prevent them from drifting away from the game.

"When I was going around the region last year with England I saw a lot of talent," he said. "There's a view around the world, certainly in England, that there's not a lot of talent but I don't subscribe to that. I saw first-hand the amount of skilful young players and West Indies just went to the Under-19 World Cup and came third so there's a lot to be encouraged by. But obviously what is happening at the moment will dampen spirits and we need to accept where we are and where we need to go. It's not going to be easy, but it's nice a challenge to have."

Despite an international career that was limited to two Tests and 15 one-day internationals Gibson has forged a strong reputation in the coaching world. He has been credited with the development of England's current bowling attack, but admitted the chance to work back home was something he had always aspired to. Within two weeks of returning from England's tour of South Africa he had informed the ECB of his intentions.

"Obviously since August, when John Dyson left the post, I knew it was vacant and once the call came I had to speak to the right people in the ECB and let them know my interest in doing the job," he said. "They were very good and said 'We won't stand in your way, we understand it's West Indies and you can have some input over there'."

"As early as when I first started coaching back in 2001 I've looked at this job," he added. "I think it's always the view of every international coach to work for your own team at some time, so when that opportunity came I'd been preparing myself for it for the last couple of years.

"I know the last few coaches have been from outside the region and people were crying out for a regional coach, but at the same time when you aren't winning whoever is in charge of the team will come under pressure. We need to stabilise the situation at the moment, stabilise the team and stop the run of defeats and then we can move on from there.

It won't be long until Gibson has the chance to try and put one over his former colleagues when West Indies meet England in the World Twenty20 on May 3. Four days before that, he will have gone head-to-head with Ireland, who have the former Windies opener Phil Simmons as their head coach.

"I'm sure the England game will be interesting, catching up with all the guys that I worked with and all the support staff," he said. "In the last couple of Twenty20s, West Indies have managed to get on top of England. I'll let the players do the talking on the field and make sure I can prepare them as best I can.

"I've spent a lot of time with the guys both on and off the field and I'll look forward to catching up with them, I won't say over a beer because I'm in the Caribbean now, but over a rum and coke."