West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite has praised departing head coach Phil Simmons for the work he has done with the team and says whoever is chosen to fill his shoes must be a leader who understands Caribbean culture.
Speaking after the West Indies’ humiliating 419-run loss to Australia in the second Test of their two-match series which was Simmons’ final assignment with the Caribbean side, Brathwaite said the Trinidadian coach had shepherded the side well.
“I think he was stern when he had to be, cause it’s always important to push guys. Also, we don’t all live in the same country, so when we come together it’s important as a group that we really put in that work and he really drove that,” the red ball captain told the media.
Following what he described as the West Indies’ “unfathomable” exit from the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia in October when they failed to get past the first round, Simmons announced his decision to step down as head coach.
However, he remained in charge for the just-ended two-Test series against Australia.
Although Simmons was hoping to finish his tenure on a high, the Caribbean side lost the first match before going on to record their worst-ever Test defeat in the second game.
Kraigg Brathwaite said, however, that Simmons had done “a good job” at the helm.
He spoke about some of the qualities he believed his successor should have to take the West Indies team forward.
“Once we get a leader, I think that’s the main thing; someone understanding the culture of West Indians. And I thought Phil did a good job. I’m sure we’ll find a good coach to replace him and have many years of success and improvement in this Test team,” he said.
Simmons served as head coach for two separate stints, the first of which ended in him being sacked by Cricket West Indies six months after the Caribbean men won the 2016 T20 World Cup. He was rehired in October 2019.
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