West Indies Cricket Coach Fired

Former Windies Coach Ottis Gibson.

News Americas, ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, Weds. Aug. 20, 2014: Barbados-born cricketer, Ottis Gibson, has been fired as coach of the West Indies Cricket team, the West Indies Cricket Board announced yesterday even as the team gears up to face Bangladesh in its first one day match today.

The Board said it was a “mutually agreed” decision but a statement added Gibson’s termination was with “immediate effect.”

Still the WICB expressed gratitude to Gibson for what they termed was “his unwavering commitment and professionalism during his tenure as the Coach of the West Indies team.”

“On behalf of the Board and West Indies cricket as a whole we express our gratitude to Ottis for his work, particularly in coaching the team to winning the ICC World Twenty20 in 2012, and offer our best wishes to him in all his future endeavours,” WICB Chief Executive Officer Michael Muirhead was quoted as saying.

Team Manager, Sir Richie Richardson, will take charge of the team on an interim basis for the series against Bangladesh which will be played in Grenada, St Kitts, St Vincent and St Lucia.

Gibson served as England’s bowling coach before becoming head coach of the West Indies on January 30 2010. He was a pace bowler for the West Indies in 1995.

The West Indies vs. Bangladesh schedule is as follows:

August 20th – First ODI – Grenada

August 22 – Second ODI – Grenada

August 25 – Third ODI – St Kitts

August 27 – T20I – St Kitts

September 5 – 9 – First Test – St Vincent

September 13 – 17 – St Lucia.