West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite has praised departing head coach Phil Simmons for the work he has carried out with the group and says whoever is chosen to fill his sneakers have to be a frontrunner who understands Caribbean tradition.
Talking after the West Indies’ humiliating 419-run loss to Australia within the second Check of their two-match sequence which was Simmons’ remaining project with the Caribbean aspect, Brathwaite mentioned the Trinidadian coach had shepherded the aspect properly.
“I feel he was stern when he needed to be, trigger it’s at all times vital to push guys. Additionally, we don’t all dwell in the identical nation, so after we come collectively it’s vital as a gaggle that we actually put in that work and he actually drove that,” the crimson ball captain advised the media.
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Following what he described because the West Indies’ “unfathomable” exit from the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia in October after they did not get previous the primary spherical, Simmons introduced his resolution to step down as head coach.
Nevertheless, he remained in cost for the just-ended two-Check sequence in opposition to Australia.
Though Simmons hoped to complete his tenure on a excessive, the Caribbean aspect misplaced the primary match earlier than happening to report their worst-ever Check defeat within the second sport.
Kraigg Brathwaite mentioned, nonetheless, that Simmons had carried out “a great job” on the helm.
He spoke about a few of the qualities he believed his successor ought to must take the West Indies group ahead.
“As soon as we get a frontrunner, I feel that’s the principle factor; somebody understanding the tradition of West Indians. And I believed Phil did a great job. I’m certain we’ll discover a good coach to switch him and have a few years of success and enchancment on this Check group,” he mentioned.
Simmons served as head coach for 2 separate stints, the primary of which resulted in him being sacked by Cricket West Indies six months after the Caribbean males gained the 2016 T20 World Cup. He was rehired in October 2019.
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