Floyd Reifer takes over from Richard Pybus as West Indies interim coach

Thu, Apr 11, '19

Floyd Reifer has been unveiled as West Indies' new interim head coach, replacing Richard Pybus with immediate effect, with Robert Haynes taking over from Courtney Browne as the new chairman of selectors.

The changes were announced at a press conference by Ricky Skerritt, the new president of CWI, who recently defeated the previous incumbent, Dave Cameron, in the board elections.

The appointments came as part of Skerritt's commitment to what he described as a "Cricket First" mantra, his bid to draw a line under a controversial period for West Indies cricket and pave the way for the return of a number of former West Indies star players who, he said, had been "secretly, but actively, victimised" by the previous regime, and "banished … from selection consideration".

"We have found it necessary to immediately adjust our selection policy to become more open, inclusive and player-centric," Skerritt said. "The changes we have triggered this week are more than a change in personnel or a shake-up in the ranks. This is a calculated strategic move designed to reignite the passion for a culture, where our cricket is being put back where it belongs - at the very centre."

Reifer, who comes from Barbados, played six Tests, eight ODIs and one T20I for West Indies between 1997 and 2009, when he returned to the side after more than a decade's absence to lead a depleted team against Bangladesh, following a strike by several of the region's senior players.

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