adminWEST Indies have named Andre Coley as interim head coach for their upcoming tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa after Phil Simmons stepped down in October following the team’s exit from the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia.
Former Jamaica wicketkeeper Coley is currently the coach of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) academy programme and was previously assistant for the senior men’s and women’s teams.
“I look forward to the tours ahead and the opportunity to make a tangible and meaningful contribution to the growth of West Indies cricket,” said the 48-year-old, who was assistant under Simmons when West Indies won their second T20 World Cup title in 2016.
West Indies will tour Zimbabwe for two Tests in February next year, both to be played at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
West Indies will start the tour with a four-day warm-up game against a local side, scheduled for January 28 to 31 at the Bulawayo Athletic Club.
The first Test is slated for February 4-8 and the second for February 12-16, both starting at 10am local time.
“The tour to Zimbabwe early in 2023 will be an important part of our 2023 Test programme, which also includes series against South Africa and India,” Jimmy Adams, CWI’s director of cricket said in a release. “Having produced some good results early in 2022, the team will be eager to begin the year with strong performances in Zimbabwe.”
West Indies have toured Zimbabwe just thrice, winning all three series without losing a Test. All of them have been two-Test series and West Indies have won each one of them 1-0. The last of those was in October 2017.
Zimbabwe will be featuring in a Test after one-and-a-half years, having last played the format in July 2021 at home against Bangladesh, in a one-off Test which the visitors won.
“Although it’s been a while since we last played Test cricket, our boys will be hungry and ready for some red-ball action and I believe an exciting series against one of the game’s top sides is on the cards,” ZC director of cricket, Hamilton Masakadza said.
Zimbabwe last drew a Test at home in January 2020, against Sri Lanka, and last won at home way back in September 2013, when they beat Pakistan. – ESPNcricinfo
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter