Yorkshire appoint Ottis Gibson as new head coach

Former West Indies all-rounder Ottis Gibson will become the head coach of the team from the end of February this year. He has been head coach to the teams like West Indies and South Africa while working as a bowling coach for England (twice) and Bangladesh.

He was the head coach of the 2012 T20 World Cup winners West Indies. In his playing days, he represented many County teams like Durham, Glamorgan and Leicestershire. He is the second black head coach in the history of county cricket. This appointment is a way for the club to rebuild its image after Azeem Rafiq made the claims of institutional racism in the club.

Meanwhile, the chairperson of the club Lord Kamlesh Patel has said that he is delighted with Gibson’s appointment and heaped praises on the former all-rounder.

Ottis Gibson will help foster a culture of inclusion at the club: Yorkshire chairman

“We’re delighted to welcome Ottis to the club,” Lord Kamlesh Patel, Yorkshire’s chairman, said. “His playing and coaching credentials speak for themselves and he has had a distinguished career performing at the highest level.

“Ottis’ character and his commitment to buying into the process that we are going through at Yorkshire County Cricket Club shone through in our discussions. He is someone that I know will encourage dialogue and help foster a culture of inclusion at the club, as well as supporting and developing the world-class talent we have here and pushing them to the next level. I look forward to working with Ottis over the coming weeks and months as we continue our rebuild of the club,” he added.

Ottis, on the other hand, has said that he is extremely honoured and excited to join the club and is looking forward to working with the talented players. He also spoke about having conversations with the director of cricket in the club and former England cricketer Darren Gough.

“I’m extremely honoured and excited to be given the opportunity to join Yorkshire County Cricket Club as head coach. This is one of the most prestigious roles in English county cricket, and I am really looking forward to working with this talented group of players to take the club forward. I’ve spoken at length with Goughy about the direction the club is heading in and I’m excited to be a part of that future.”

Gough said that the 52-year-old becoming a head coach is an important moment for the club. He also pointed out Gibson’s credentials as a coach and added that Ginson is the best person for th job.

“Ottis becoming head coach is an important moment for Yorkshire County Cricket Club, and we are very happy that he has become part of the team. Ottis is one of the best coaches in the world and will be a fantastic addition. His knowledge, commitment, experience and cricket know-how will be vital for us as we move into pre-season and get ourselves up and running,” said Gough.

“We were absolutely blown away by the level of interest and quality of candidates for this role, but I have no doubt that he’s the best person for the job and will pick up the challenge with relish.” he added.