West Indies head coach Phil Simmons has opted to resign after the outrage following their first-round elimination from the T20 World Cup 2022, calling their performance ‘disappointing and heart-wrenching’. The only team to have won the T20 World Cup twice, West Indies, finished last in their qualifying round group, trailing Scotland, Ireland, and Zimbabwe. They defeated Zimbabwe, but lost to Scotland and Ireland, eliminating them from the competition. However, Simmons will play through the two matches against Australia from November 30 to December 12.
“I understand that the great nations we represent as well as the squad are suffering. We simply failed to show up, which is heartbreaking and frustrating. Since we fell short, we must now watch a competition without taking part in it. I really apologise to our fans and supporters because it’s inconceivable,” Simmons added.
It was Simmons’ second time serving as the West Indies’ coach. The Windies won the T20 World Cup in 2016 during his first term. In October 2019, he took over again, and he has been a member of the system ever since. Although he emphasised that it wasn’t a “knee-jerk” reaction, Simmons acknowledged that his term was prematurely coming to a close.
“From a personal standpoint, this is not a hasty decision; rather, it is something I have been pondering for some time, and the moment has come to announce that I will leave my position as head coach of the West Indies after the Test series against Australia. Although it has come sooner than expected, I will now concentrate all of my efforts in Australia on further the excellent development the Test squad has already achieved. Of course, we will conduct the required evaluation of our World Cup campaign, as the President has noted.
“I must admit that I have appreciated parts of the special challenge that serving as the head coach of the West Indies offers, as well as the steadfast support of my Management Team.” He said, “There are still some outstanding people at CWI who I am certain will continue to act in the best interests of West Indies cricket.”
He oversaw the team’s performance earlier this year when they battled to a 1-0 Test series triumph over England at home to win the Richards-Botham Trophy, and in June as they won a Test series against Bangladesh in their last match.
“On behalf of CWI, I want to thank Phil for his commitment to West Indies cricket and his hard work, especially in his most recent position as Head Coach. Phil has always been inspired to mentor our younger players both on and off the field of play. He is a proud West Indian with great aspirations. He contributed vital stability and experience during a crucial time of change, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic’s most difficult environment. He has our best wishes for success in his future efforts,” President of CWI Ricky Skerritt.
