Andre Coley appointed interim West Indies coach for tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa

Kingston, December 22: Andre Coley has been named as West Indies' interim head coach for the tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa in early 2023.

Phil Simmons stepped down from the role in December following a poor T20 World Cup campaign, where West Indies were knocked out at the group stage after winning just one of their three matches.

A former left-handed batsman, Coley never represented West Indies at senior level but has been part of the coaching setup since his retirement, including a spell as assistant coach between 2012 and 2017.

The 48-year-old will take over for the Test series against Zimbabwe at the end of January, as well as the multi-format tour to South Africa between February and March.

In a statement from Cricket West Indies (CWI), Coley said: "To be asked to oversee the West Indies team on the upcoming tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa is a special honour.

"The upcoming assignment will be challenging as we will come up against two teams in their home conditions.

"I look forward to the tours ahead and the opportunity to make a tangible and meaningful contribution to the growth of West Indies cricket."

Jimmy Adams, CWI director of cricket, added: "We welcome Andre back to the West Indies dressing room and with his wealth of knowledge of the game, player-management skills, dedication and hard work.

"We expect he will again approach this new role with the same vigour and zeal which have characterised his time in the CWI coaching system and has earned the respect of players and everyone who he has interacted with."