Cricket West Indies (CWI) has handed former Caribbean fast bowler and head coach Ottis Gibson a one-year contract to work as a fast bowling consultant.
In early June, the West Indies will host Sri Lanka for three ODIs, three T20Is and two Tests, and that will be Gibson’s first assignment. Gibson has been with the Caribbean cricket board in one capacity or another for the last several years now.
Gibson, in his playing days, was real quick, however, he couldn’t play too many matches for the Caribbean team. All he got was two Tests and 15 ODIs. But then it was also a period where the West Indies boasted some of the fiercest fast bowlers of all time, like Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Ian Bishop and many more, and sadly Gibson fell down the pecking order over time. After being appointed as the fast bowling consultant earlier this week, the 57-year-old made it clear he was eyeing improvements in all formats.
“I’m looking forward to working with the various coaches and the very talented group of bowlers in the Caribbean, to assist in their development across all formats of the game,” the official website of Cricket West Indies reported him as saying.
West Indies director of cricket Miles Bascombe has welcomed the appointment of Gibson. The Caribbean team is really going to be busy this year, and Gibson will have his hands full.
“Fast bowling has always been central to West Indies cricket and remains one of our greatest competitive advantages on the global stage. As we prepare for an extended and demanding period of international cricket, it is critical that we invest in the strength, depth, and durability of this group. Ottis brings a wealth of experience, insight, and proven success at the highest level of the game, and his presence will be invaluable in guiding and supporting our fast bowlers to perform consistently at an elite level,” Bascombe said.
Gibson was part of unfortunate history too!
It may be noted that Gibson was briefly associated with the team in the same role last year when they travelled to Sharjah to play the Associate nation Nepal for the first time ever in a bilateral contest. The three-T20I series proved to be historic from Nepal’s point of view as they stunned the Caribbean side 2-1. They may not have been part of that history in the way they would have wanted, but they were part of it nonetheless.
