KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Former West Indies head coach, Floyd Reifer, is set to take over the top coaching role at the embattled Jamaica Tallawahs for this year’s Caribbean Premier League.
According to the Gleaner newspaper here, Barbadian Reifer is one of several changes expected to take place at the Kingston-based franchise for the August 19 to September 26 campaign, following a dismal last season which saw them finish bottom of the standings and miss out on the playoffs.
A former West Indies captain, Reifer oversaw the Windies disastrous World Cup campaign last year after replacing Englishman Richard Pybus.
“When you have a team that came last in the competition, obviously there are going to be changes, it can’t be business as usual,” chief executive officer, Jeff Miller, said.
Under head coach Donovan Miller, Tallawahs managed just two wins in 10 outings in their worst-ever showing in the seven-year-old Twenty20 domestic league.
This was in spite of a star-studded lineup which included the likes of superstars Chris Gayle and Andre Russell, along with West Indies all-rounder Rovman Powell and New Zealander Glenn Phillips.
Jamaican Miller, who was part of the successful Tallawahs unit of 2016 before moving to St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and then returning home last year, says he was yet to be informed about any changes at the franchise.
However, he said he was already in talks with several other franchises and was confident of landing a key position for the upcoming tournament.
“I haven’t spoken to CEO Jeff Miller since November of last year,” Miller said.
“The last time we spoke, he had asked me to write a report on the team’s performance from last season, which I did and sent to him and the owners, and that was it.
“What I can tell you, though, is that I have been in talks with two to three other franchises, and I am almost 99 per cent sure, once we get the green light, that I will be coaching in the CPL this season.”
Team manager Andrew Richardson is also expected to leave the Tallawahs, with reigning champions Barbados Tridents the likely destination.
Tallawahs have won the CPL twice, in the inaugural year in 2013 and then again in 2016.
