ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Cricket West Indies announced on Thursday that former West Indies captain Carl Hooper was roped in to be one of the assistant coaches to West Indies white-ball head coach Daren Sammy.
Former interim head coach Floyd Reifer, another former West Indies captain, and former New Zealand all-rounder James Franklin will complete the coaching expertise for the white-ball squad.
CWI also announced that the former Leeward Islands and West Indies pair of Kenny Benjamin and Stuart Williams and former Guyana pacer Rayon Griffith would be the assistant coaches to newly-appointed Test team head coach Andre Coley.
According to a CWI news release, all the assistant coaches have been appointed on a short-term basis, and their positions will be reviewed after the international home series against India in August.
Hooper, one of the most successful West Indies all-rounders during his playing days, scoring more than 5 000 runs and taking more than 100 wickets in both Tests and One-day Internationals, said he accepted the position because he wanted to see West Indies move forward.
“When Daren initially approached me about the potential opportunity, I immediately confirmed my interest, as I want to help with the challenge and make a meaningful impact,” he said in a CWI news release.
“I firmly believe that it is time for West Indies cricket to ascend, and I am confident in my ability, knowledge, and experience to aid in this endeavor.”
Hooper, 56, previously worked at various coaching levels in the Caribbean and Australia, and Sammy welcomed his appointment.
“Cricket is a team sport,” Sammy said. “Therefore, having the right people around you, who share your vision, is extremely important. This is a group of hardworking, passionate men who have no egos. Our collective desire is to impact the players and West Indies cricket positively.”
On the Test side, Benjamin and Griffith were part of the coaching staff for the Tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa earlier this year, while Williams returns to a role he previously held on diverse occasions.
Coley said the retention of Benjamin and Griffith would benefit the players because they could continue the work upon which they embarked on previous tours.
“We are looking for as much continuity as possible in the preparation for our upcoming assignments,” Coley said. “Kenny and Rayon will continue in their roles from the previous two tours, and Stuart Williams is currently with the A-Team in Bangladesh.
“It is a hardworking group with clear tasks outlined, and we can effectively serve West Indies cricket as a unit for the upcoming series against India.”
CWI also indicated that the rest of the support staff structure will remain.
They are former Windward Islands captain and West Indies leg-spinner Rawl Lewis in the role of team operations manager, his former Windwards teammate Denis Byam in the post of a physiotherapist, as well as strength & conditioning coach Ronald Rogers, performance analyst Avenash Seetaram, and media and content officer Dario Barthley.
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