Cricket: West Indies appoints Pybus as interim coach

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Richard Pybus has been named the interim head coach of West Indies cricket team as the two-time former World Cup champions seek to end their long title drought at this year's ICC Cricket World Cup.

English-born Pybus will guide the Caribbean team in a busy 2019 that also includes a home series against England, apart from the quadrennial World Cup event, to be hosted in England and Wales between May and July.

Cricket West Indies (CWI), the governing body of the sport in the Caribbean islands, unveiled the name of their new coach on Friday and the announcement came less than two weeks before England arrive for a winter series.

As per the CWI, 54-year-old Pybus will have his stint as the stopgap head coach until September before a full-time coach will replace him.

West Indies cricketers celebrate after winning the third Twenty20 (T20) cricket match between Bangladesh and West Indies at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, December 22, 2018. /VCG Photo

CWI director of cricket and former West Indies wicket-keeper-batsman Jimmy Adams said, “Richard comes into the role with previous international experience having worked with both Pakistan and Bangladesh.”

“Due to his current and previous involvement in CWI, he possesses a good working knowledge of both players and coaches,” he added.

The coveted post in Caribbean cricket fell vacant when Australian Stuart Law resigned in September to take charge of the English county side Middlesex.

This would be a comeback for Pybus on the Caribbean soil as he was West Indies director of cricket from 2013 to 2016 before returning as high performance director from last February.

England will arrive in West Indies this month to play three tests, five one-day internationals and one Twenty20 with the first test starting in Barbados from January 23.

The busy season of Caribbean cricket will also see India touring the Caribbean in July and August, once the marquee World Cup ends.