WICB appoints Ottis Gibson as Head Coach

ZIZ Sports…February 3, 2010 – The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has announced the appointment of Ottis Gibson as the Head Coach of the West Indies Team. Mr. Gibson will assume duties in time for the start of the Digicel Series between the West Indies and Zimbabwe from February 28 to March 14.

As Head Coach, Gibson will be responsible for all West Indies representative cricket teams and will be expected to provide leadership, guidance and direction to all coaches.

Gibson said he is looking forward to making a contribution to the development of West Indies cricket. Gibson is a former coach for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) North West region and was Fast Bowling Coach for the England team for the last two years. Dr Ernest Hilaire, Chief Executive of the WICB, said the Board was happy to have the 40-year-old Barbadian join the team as he brings a wealth of experience as a player and as a coach.

Ottis Gibson

Gibson said: “I am really excited about the new challenge and I am very happy to be involved in West Indies cricket again. West Indies cricket has always been my passion. I was excited as a player to represent the West Indies and I am honoured to be appointed as the Head Coach. It is a privilege and I am really looking forward to working with the West Indies and everyone involved in West Indies cricket. I fully understand what cricket means to the people of the region and I hope in time we can make cricket in the West Indies strong again.”

He added: “I would like to thank the ECB for the opportunity given to me since 2001 as a national coach for North West of England and then as Bowling Coach for England for the last two years. It was a tremendous opportunity and I am sure the experience I gained will help me in my new role with the West Indies team unit.”

Hilaire said: “We are delighted to have Ottis Gibson as our new Head Coach of West Indies cricket. We are at a stage in the development of West Indies cricket where we believe we have the players who are capable of taking the game to the next level. Ottis has the experience and knowledge to work with players at all levels, as he demonstrated with the England team. We are confident he can help to chart the way forward for West Indies cricket.”

During his playing days, Gibson was a fast bowling allrounder and represented Barbados in West Indies regional cricket; Durham, Glamorgan and Leicestershire in the English County Championship; and Border, Griqualand West and Guateng in the South African Provincial Competitions. He played two Tests and 15 One-Day Internationals for the West Indies. In all first-class cricket he made 177 appearances, and had best bowling figures in an innings of 10-47 for Durham against Hampshire.