Former West Indies (WI) captain Daren Sammy has been appointed as the national team’s all-format head coach and his stint commences on 1st April 2025. Already serving as the white ball coach for West Indies since May 2023, the Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Monday (December 16) confirmed that he will replace the present test coach Andre Coley.
The two-time ICC Men’s T20 World Cup-winning captain (in 2012 and 2016) has earned recognition for improving the team’s performance in white ball format since his tenure in 2023.
However, the West Indies failed to enter the finals of the ODI World Cup 2023 Qualifier resulting in the team missing out on the World Cup for the first time in cricket history, which was a huge disappointment under Sammy’s coaching. In contrast, the T20I squad succeeded in qualifying for the Super 8s of the T20 World Cup 2024.
It is expected that the test cricket team will rise again under Sammy’s guidance and overcome the struggles faced in recent years, particularly during the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle.
Daren Sammy Excited About his Appointment as All Format Head Coach of West Indies
After the announcement, Daren Sammy expressed his joyful moments by conveying his preparedness to get started with his new role:
“Yeah! Really Excited! It’s always been a valuable opportunity to contribute to West Indies in any role or format. In my opinion, the news is quite surprising which I didn’t expect.
Coaching was something I never thought of becoming, but as time went on, I truly enjoyed it and started to develop a passion for the job.
I strongly believe in the strategies that we have been able to perform in the white-ball formats. With this role, I have already pointed out a few areas and processes that should be followed to gain a successful outcome (in red ball format). Having huge patience, my plan comes into action only after I trust the process and understand the complete expectations of the director of cricket.
I’m delighted with the additional responsibility, my team and I will be prepared for to embark on a fresh journey,” Sammy said.
CWI Director of Cricket Provides Clarity on Sammy’s Role as WI’s All-Format Head Coach
During the Quarterly Press Conference conducted in St.Vincent, Miles Bascombe — the CWI director of cricket, clarified the decision to upgrade Sammy’s role as the team’s head coach for all formats of international cricket :
“Certainly! After the completion of the current World Test Championship cycle, we will be extending Daren Sammy’s role to all formats. So that he is confirmed to become the senior men’s national team’s head coach when we host a 3-match test series against Australians next year,” Bascombe said.
West Indies Performance in White Ball Cricket Under Daren Sammy’s Coaching
Starting from Daren Sammy’s first assignment as white ball coach in UAE’s tour in June 2023, the West Indies has won 63 limited-overs matches. Out of which the Caribbean side secured victories in 15 ODIs (out of 28 ODIs) and 20 T20Is (out of 35 T20Is played).
Moreover, the West Indies has won the ODI series twice against the UAE, Bangladesh, and England during this period.
The following are the white ball series (ODIs and T20Is) that West Indies won under Sammy’s guidance:
| Year | Month | Series | Format | Winner | Scoreline |
| 2023 | June | West Indies tour of UAE | 3-match ODI Series | West Indies | 3-0 |
| July to August | India tour of West Indies | 3-match ODI Series | India | 2-1 | |
| 5-match T20I series | West Indies | 3-2 | |||
| December | England Tour of West Indies | 3-match ODI Series | West Indies | 2-1 | |
| 5-match T20I series | West Indies | 3-2 | |||
| 2024 | February | West Indies Tour of Australia | 3-match ODI Series | Australia | 3-0 |
| 3-match T20I Series | 2-1 | ||||
| May | South Africa Tour of West Indies | 3-match T20I Series | West Indies | 3-0 | |
| August | |||||
| October | West Indies Tour of Sri Lanka | 3-match T20I Series | Sri Lanka | 2-1 | |
| 3-match ODI Series | |||||
| October to November | England Tour of West Indies | 3-match ODI Series | West Indies | 2-1 | |
| 3-match T20I Series | England | 3-1 | |||
| December | Bangladesh tour of West Indies | 3-match ODI Series | West Indies | 2-1 | |
| 3-match T20I series (ongoing) | Bangladesh (1-0) as of 15th December 2024 | ||||
West Indies Performance in Test Cricket Under Andre Coley’s Coaching: Final Opinion
In contrast to the West Indies performance in white ball cricket, the test cricket team hasn’t won a single series. Their only notable achievement includes being the first team to defeat Australia in a day-night test earlier this year at Gabba.
Since the commencement of the WTC 2023-25 cycle, West Indies has lost the series against these teams:
- India: Lost by 0-1 in 2-match test series.
- England: Lost by 0-3 in a 3-match test series.
- South Africa: Lost by 0-1 in 2-match test series.
As a result, the West Indies are left out of the race to secure a spot in the WTC 2025 final despite securing a 1-1 draw outcome against Australia and Bangladesh. With 2 wins out of 11 matches that include 7 losses, West Indies ranks at the bottom of the WTC 2023-25 points table having acquired 32 points and 24.240 PCT.
Finally, it is believed that Daren Sammy would replicate his white ball success in red-ball cricket after stepping into the role of all-format head coach from next year April onwards.