Daren Sammy appointed as West Indies men's white-ball head coach

ST JOHNS [ANTIGUA]: Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Friday announced the appointments of the new head coaches for the senior men's teams. Andre Coley has been appointed head coach for the Test and 'A' teams. Two-time T20 World Cup-winning captain Daren Sammy has been named as the West Indies men's white-ball head coach.

The new head coaches were selected following an open and transparent interview process, and the appointments were confirmed following the CWI Board of Directors meeting on Thursday.

Daren Sammy's first assignment will be the three-match ODI Series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Sharjah in June, ahead of the ICC Men's World Cup 2023 Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe.

Andre Coley's first assignment will be the two-match Test Series against India in the Caribbean in July. Sammy is a former West Indies captain in all three formats, who led the West Indies to the ICC T20 World Cup titles in 2012 and 2016. Since retirement, he has coached franchise teams in the Pakistan Super League and the Caribbean Premier League.

Coley is a former Jamaica wicketkeeper/batsman who has coached at all levels in West Indies cricket. He was Interim Head Coach of the West Indies team on the tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa earlier this year with his most recent assignment as Head Coach of the West Indies Academy.

"It will be a challenge but one that I'm ready for and excited about. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity, especially looking at the players we have and the impact that I believe I can have in the dressing room. I believe I will bring the same approach as I had as a player: the passion, the desire for success, and my undying love for West Indies cricket," the 39-year-old Sammy said in a statement released by CWI.

"When I look around there is an abundance of talent, and what I saw in South Africa in the white ball matches under new captains Shai Hope and Rovman Powell and the leadership provided by Andre Coley, there is great belief that we can do well. I'm looking forward to imparting my knowledge, my tactical acumen, my communication skills and my man-management skills. I get excited about putting the plans together and seeing the players execute them," he added.

"I am honoured to be appointed West Indies Men's Head Coach of the red-ball team after serving in the interim role on the Zimbabwe and South Africa tours. I am looking forward to the challenges ahead, as well as the opportunities as we sharpen our focus on moving up the Test rankings, and qualifying for the World Test Championship final in June 2025. I also look forward to working with all our stakeholders, deepening relationships and fostering a high-performance mindset," Andre Coley said.

"I am also excited to be working closely with the 'A Team' as we seek to optimise opportunities for teams to play competitive cricket outside of our first-class competition and give players greater exposure to different conditions at the international level. I believe that my expertise in the use of analytics, my leadership style and my technical knowledge along with collaborative efforts alongside Daren, will make a positive contribution to player development and team performances," Coley added.

In March, CWI announced that the role of Head Coach for the West Indies Senior Men's Teams will be split into two separate positions, a decision made with reference to the recommendation by the independent three-member World Cup Review Group to consider splitting coaching duties as one factor to help improve team preparation.