The West Indies’ move to part ways with coach Ottis Gibson, just a day ahead of a home series against Bangladesh, has prompted speculation former South African and Australian mentor Mickey Arthur is favourite for the job.
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) said the two sides “mutually agreed to terminate their association” with team manager Richie Richardson stepping in as interim coach.
No reason was given for the departure of Gibson, who had been in charge since 2010 and led the West Indies to the World Twenty20 title in 2012.
However, West Indies are eighth in the Test rankings, the lowest among the established nations, eighth in the one-day rankings and seventh in the T20 rankings.
Ex-captain Clive Lloyd was named head of a new-look selection panel earlier this month.
“On behalf of the Board, and West Indies cricket as a whole, we express our gratitude to Ottis for his work,” WICB chief Michael Muirhead said in a statement.
The WICB thanked Gibson for his “unwavering commitment and professionalism” in his role as head coach, a position he occupied for four years and for which he had signed a contract extension only last year that would have taken him to 2016.
Confirmation that the former fast-medium bowler would not be involved against Bangladesh came less than 12 hours before the opening one-dayer of the three-match series in Grenada on Wednesday.
The teams will also play one T20 international followed by two Tests.
The highlight of Gibson’s time in charge was the World T20 triumph in Sri Lanka in 2012. Their title defence last March in Bangladesh ended in defeat to eventual champions Sri Lanka in the semi-finals.
Team manager Richardson, the former West Indies captain and top batsman, will take over the coaching responsibilities for the Bangladesh series while a full-time replacement is confirmed.
Mickey Arthur coached the Jamaica Tallawahs during the second season of the Caribbean Premier League which ended last Saturday in St Kitts.
Speculation over Gibson’s status ignited on Monday when he was absent from the West Indies team’s training session, and again on Tuesday.
Despite having the WICB’s support amid disputes with prominent players including Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul early in his tenure, the Barbadian seems to have fallen out of favour after series losses to India and New Zealand.
With the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand less than six months away, the WICB must fill the void full-time in the hope the squad can come together in time for the tournament, while also facing tough assignments in India and South Africa following the Bangladesh series.
