St. Johns (Antigua): Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced that Phil Simmons will be stepping down from his role as head coach men’s team following the team’s exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup being played in Australia.
Simmons' last assignment will be the upcoming two-match Test series against Australia, starting from November 30 to December 12, CWI said on Sunday.
Simmons has been in charge of the West Indies over two separate stints since 2015 and was at the helm when he led the Caribbean side to their second T20 World Cup title at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in 2016.
The ongoing T20 World Cup in Australia was a disappointing one for the West Indies, with Simmons leading the side to just one win from three matches as they were bundled out of the tournament in the first round.
Simmons said the decision was not just due to the West Indies' T20 World Cup efforts and he had been considering the move for some time.
"I acknowledge that it’s not just the team that is hurting but the proud nations we represent as well. It’s disappointing and heart wrenching but we just didn’t turn up. We weren’t good enough and we now have to watch a tournament play-out without our involvement. It's unfathomable and for that I deeply apologise to our fans and followers," Simmons said.
"From a personal perspective this is not a knee jerk reaction, but a move I have been considering for some time and now is the time to make public that I will step down as West Indies Head Coach at the end of the Test series against Australia. It is earlier than hoped for, but I will now focus my energies in Australia on continuing to build on the excellent progress the Test team has made," he added.
The two-time champion West Indies has defeated Zimbabwe by 31 runs for their only win at the ongoing T20 World Cup, with losses to Scotland and Ireland seeing them finish fourth in Group B. (UNI)
