Simmons’ Work Cut Out For Him

Thu, Oct 31, '19

At the time of writing, in just over a week, the Windies cricket team will be embarking on a tour which will comprise a one-off Test match against Afghanistan along with a trio of one-day internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 (T20) matches. 

It will be the first set of encounters after the reappointment of head coach, Phil Simmons. That predictable announcement has come from the new Cricket West Indies President Ricky Skerritt. The Kittitian, by his previous appointments, seemed to be sending a message to all those who cared to listen, that his philosophy was clearly not going to be of the ‘business as usual’ nature. His mantra spoke to a house cleaning and replacements would be those who, in the opinion of his affiliates, would bring new fortunes to the fading image of the region’s cricket.

There are those who expressed the thought that Skerritt was somewhat hasty in removing the previous coach, Richard Pybus, from his position, especially since he had taken the team through a 2-1 victory against the England Lions in a recently concluded Test series, and also drawing the ODI series at 2-2. All three T20 matches were lost to the Englishmen. In the interim, Floyd Reifer was named and the Windies were back to their losing ways against the touring Indians in all formats of the game.

Read more at the Jamaica Gleaner