Cricket West Indies (CWI) finally put speculation to rest when it confirmed on Friday afternoon that Richard Pybus was indeed the new Head Coach of the Windies men’s team, following days of rumours.
Pybus, the English-born player turned coach, has been around the Windies set-up in numerous roles in the past, but has been tipped as of recent as the new Head Coach following Australian Stuart Law’s departure.
CWI confirmed the appointment on Friday and upon his appointment, Pybus said he was excited about his new role and he was looking forward to working with the
Richard Pybus
Windies skipper Jason Holder and his men in the Test and ODI teams.
He further noted that the upcoming mega tour of the Caribbean against England was crucial and they needed to focus on the series, while the Caribbean side will face Bangladesh and Ireland. Pybus also said the encounters were important after Bangladesh and Windies had numerous battles last year while Ireland could seek revenge after missing out on World Cup qualification last year.
The Windies High-Performance Director has been no stranger to coaching having stints with Bangladesh and Pakistan who he coached to the 1999 World Cup. Pybus’s stint is expected to run up until the next few series, including the Ireland and Bangladesh encounters, with emphasis being placed on getting the team well-organised ahead of the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup.
Meanwhile, Windies have announced their plans to immediately start conducting a regional search for a full-time coach from September.
CWI’s executive and ex-West Indies Captain Jimmy Adams believes that Pybus’s knowledge of dealing with players on and off the field, as well as his experience as a coach, makes him the right man for the job at the moment. (Clifton Ross)
