WICB fires Head Coach

The WICB said it is separating itself from Phil Simmons
The WICB said it is separating itself from Phil Simmons

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has announced that it is separating itself from Head Coach Phil Simmons.

The decision was made during a meeting of the Board of Directors on Saturday, September 10.

“In recent times, based on the public pronouncements of the coach and the approach internally, we have identified differences in culture and strategic approach,” the WICB said in a release. “The WICB would, therefore, like to thank the coach for his contribution and wishes him the best in his future endeavours.”

The West Indies Senior Team is now preparing for upcoming assignments against Pakistan in the UAE.

“The Team will be headed by Manager Joel Garner, coaches Henderson Springer and Roddy Estwick,” the WICB said.

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14 Comments

  1. September 14, 2016

    Ambrose, curse, What goes around comes around. Feel sorry for Phil.

  2. angel
    September 14, 2016

    Smh Smh. How can you fir a coach 9 days before a game. That don’t make any sense. WICB that needs to go because is nonsense they are doing

  3. September 14, 2016

    No wonder the WICB chose Dominica as the venue for the meeting that would drill the nails on Simmons coffin. They new Dominicans are use to having a government that dictating to them, exploit them, impoverish them, fire those that try to talk, while those that destroying our future find a way to buy-elections. Furthermore, they knew they could tell the local press what they want and no one would press them to answer hard questions. Mano must have told them bbbobos let’s keep that meeting in do Dominica because we will get the support of Skerrit who is able to get away with anything.

  4. Channel 1
    September 14, 2016

    Phil’s sacking seems kind of strange. Please note though that the majority of us don’t really know what goes on in the dressing room and inner sanctums of the West Indies team.

    Would the WICB really just want to sack a successful coach just for the sake of sacking him or is there something else going on – something genuine which warranted Phil’s dismissal?

    I’m seeing mention made of “differences in culture and strategic approach,” between Phil and the WICB approach.

    So if an employee does not want to follow or does not agree with the plans of his employers – not that these plans may necessarily be illegal or wrong, what is the next course of action?

  5. JayD
    September 14, 2016

    It is said he who useth the sword will die by the sword……..didn’t he just fire coach Ambrose without even having any dissatisfaction discussions with him? Maybe he thought is position was sealed in concrete.

    What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

  6. forreal
    September 14, 2016

    here goes black people again,after suffering a brutal slave age, we are still fighting among ourselves,does not the words,devided we fall,united we stand mean anything to us??Caribbean people have got learn that our ignorance is killing us,we are a third people whose attitude should be rise to find our place in a competitive world,we are so far behind it isn’t funny,we once ruled the highest cricket platform because the rest of the world had not been taken cricket seriously,now they have taken it to a high profitable business while still walla in a who is the best Caribbean island attitude,,totally crab in a barrel definition,,anyway I am negro trying to make sense of all of this,maybe it is the learning to read and write English that’s what confusing our whole existence.

    • forreal
      September 14, 2016

      i meant ..third world people….the English learning to read and write again,that is the problem, what is not your from creation…is just not yours

  7. Titiwi
    September 14, 2016

    Who appointed him in the first place?. After a very successful eight year spell as head coach of Ireland he was selected from seven candidates as the best prospect, acclaimed by WICB chief executive Michael Muirhead in March of last year and endorsed by the same WICB board that has now summarily dismissed him, almost immediately after the resignation of Michael Muirhead at the beginning of this month. A coincidence? I don’t think so, and whether or not Phil Simmons was really the best man in the first place it questions the soundness of the judgement of the WICB board. I see a troubled time ahead for our regional cricket squad and its performance.

  8. REBEL Skerrit
    September 14, 2016

    Ok, all you already know my name is REBEL Skerrit (sounds like Roosevelt Skerrit but not the same), because I take delight in rebelling against the laws and constitution of Dominica. Here is my opinion on this article:
    The state of WICB and the commonwealth of Dominica is in the same predicament because of bad leadership. Quite clearly from the time Cameron and Mr. Nanthan became boss, WICB moved from not too bad to extremely bad, but yet they were re-elected recently.

    Should we diagnose the problem as Manoitist, because of the presence of Mano? Mano was given a strong Harris Paint Northern league to run and he ran it to death. Yet was elected president of Dominica Cricket, which is all but dead. Found himself as VP of WICB, and that too is all but dead. He is Skerrit’s key man on the sale of passport and only God knows. Dominica under Skerrit and Mano is all but dead!

    Commonsense tells me that anything Skerrit or Mano involve in is all but dead with no transparency whatsoever

    • De country Nice
      September 14, 2016

      Whoosh zo Skerrit de Pm must be christophine every tinh Skerrit have to feature. @Rebel Skerrit Dominicans will kill me with laughter

  9. My Bad
    September 14, 2016

    WICB firing everybody except Cameron and Nanthan. The question is, who do they turn to now seeing no one has confidence in them? Here is ESPNcricinfo on who they in love with but he not in love with them: “It was suggested that former West Indies captain and current Kent coach Jimmy Adams was the replacement the WICB wanted, but sources close to Adams told ESPNcricinfo he was not interested.” Even Daren Sammy making mokery of them on facebook :

    “If the blind leads the blind they are bound to fall in a pit,” former West Indies captain Darren Sammy said. He also called the WICB’s recent symposium of players and administrators in Florida a “”publicity staunt”. So after the publicity stunt in Fort Lauderdale the first so call plan to move West Indies Cricket forward is to fire the coach just two days before a tour… just prove to me what I already knew. If the blind leads the blind they are bound to fall in a pit.”

    I guess Mano will stop selling passport & go coach the…

  10. Sylvester Cadette
    September 14, 2016

    Why Am I not surprised? And based on past trends the problem seem not to be with Phil Simons.
    It is an endemic problem with WICB. And they love it just on the very eve of their tours. Phil was loved by all the players – this creature WICB is like Ebola – it leads to death. I feel sorry for the players.

    BUT I FEEL SORRY MOST FOR OUR CARICOM LEADERS – they are pathetically helpless/hopeless in at least giving some guidance. WICB has made them look like clowns -ZeZe.

    Do we even have an iota of respect and honor for Our past heroes/ legends of cricket? Do we want to constantly see the televised tears and constant humiliation of 80 year old Sir Garfield Sobers, or Sir Vivian Richards , Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Curtly Ambrose et al. DO WE HATE OUR KIDS FUTURE

    Have we not noticed that mainly those who could not make the West Indies Team are Officials and Coaches and Managers – even Phil did not have an impressive average but he proved with Ireland that he was a coach worthy of…

    • Sylvester Cadette
      September 14, 2016

      even Phil did not have an impressive average but he proved with Ireland that he was a coach worthy of his salt. I would not be surprised if Joel Garner leaves soon. WICB spells mediocrity – and it appears to be a trend in the region. And please do not think I do not like the Board Members. Otherwise they are good people but on this matter of cricket they are a reproach to our honor and future.

      In times past you would aspire to surround yourself with persons who knew more than you, who could educate and guide and advise you to success. Today people love surrounding themselves with people who know less so they look bright. So Pathetic and it is a Caribbean Trend. Sociologists, educationist, pedagogues, historians, architects of our education and our future take note -Just remember:

      All that is cricket in the region is a microcosm of our society.

      • Shaka Zulu
        September 14, 2016

        sylvester how you? Yoy are very much on point there. It reminds me of how in the old days the kings would be on the frontlines during battle for country. Thats where respect valor and bravery was created. Today the politicians send others to fight while they hide in closets. Why the gross disrespect for the former players who have made west indies cricket what it is by men/fanatics/clowns that could not throw a darn stone after a mango. All of a sudden they are in position and God has blessed them with talent to make WI cricket great. Let me add also we became great by men who played thier butts off on the field not by bureaucrats who would run for thier life at a 75mph delivery. Fools will continue to run this region because we allow them to. There is no in depth, action, resolution, results based decision making. Simple feel good i am in-charge self centered mindset.

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