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

West Indies have appointed Andre Coley as their interim coach for their men's team's upcoming tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa. Coley takes over from Phil Simmons, who resigned as head coach after West Indies crashed out in the first-round stage of the T20 World Cup in October.

Cricket West Indies has also confirmed that the contracts of assistant coaches Roddy Estwick and Monty Desai have ended.

The 48-year-old Coley, a former Jamaica wicketkeeper, is head coach of the CWI Academy program. He has previously served as head coach of the West Indies Under-19s, and as assistant coach of both the senior men's and women's teams. He was assistant coach under Simmons when West Indies won the Men's T20 World Cup in 2016, and assistant coach of Jamaica Tallawahs when they claimed the Caribbean Premier League title earlier this year.

"To be asked to oversee the West Indies team on the upcoming tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa is a special honour," Coley said. "West Indies cricket holds a special place in my heart. The upcoming assignment will be challenging as we will come up against two teams in their home conditions.

"We will need to ensure that our planning and preparation are appropriate, and demonstrate consistency in the execution of these plans, to give ourselves the best opportunity to achieve positive results.

"The players, I'm sure, are enthusiastic about the opportunities that both series should offer and are eager to contribute to our team's success. I look forward to the tours ahead and the opportunity to make a tangible and meaningful contribution to the growth of West Indies cricket."

West Indies will tour Zimbabwe for two Test matches in February 2023. Both Tests will be played in Bulawayo - the first from February 4 to 8 and the second from February 12 to 16. Shortly afterwards, they will embark on a full tour of South Africa that includes two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is.