The England Cricket Board (ECB) has announced that Ottis Gibson has been appointed as England’s Fast Bowling Coach for the Test squad’s forthcoming West Indies tour. Gibson, who enjoyed a three-year spell as England’s Fast Bowling Coach from 2007-2010 before being appointed West Indies Coach, will join up with the England management team next week.
The 46-year-old former West Indies fast bowler was Fast Bowling Coach on the recent England Lions tour of South Africa and also supported the England Performance Programme’s four-week training camp for fast bowlers – also in South Africa – before Christmas.
The current England Fast Bowling Coach David Saker has indicated to ECB that he intends to leave his post in September after accepting a position as Coach to the Melbourne Renegades Big Bash franchise.
ECB Managing Director – England Cricket Paul Downton said: “We are delighted to have secured a bowling coach of Ottis’s calibre as he is highly respected among the fast bowling fraternity and his knowledge and experience of local conditions will be invaluable in the Caribbean.
“We must, however, stress that this is a short-term appointment at this stage. No decision has yet been made on a long-term replacement for David and we will need to review how we staff this position going forward following the conclusion of the West Indies tour.”