BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Former West Indies head coach Phil Simmons said one of the things to which he will be most looking forward while working with Papua New Guinea during the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup will be returning to his native Trinidad & Tobago.
The 61-year-old joined the coaching staff of the ICC Associate nation in the role of specialist coach for World Cup, and he will provide PNG head coach Tatenda Taibu, the former Zimbabwe wicketkeeper-batsman and captain, with unique knowledge of playing in Caribbean conditions.
“My role here is as a consultant coach and how I put across my experience, not just playing in World Cups, but playing in the Caribbean and the things that we should be looking at to make sure we do it right in the Caribbean and especially the venues that we play at,” he said.
Simmons was West Indies head coach when they won their second T20I World Cup eight years ago in India – but he also was their guide when they were knocked out of the past two T20I World Cups after the first round in Oman and the United Arab Emirates, and the qualifying round in Australia.
But the former West Indies opener turned all-rounder has built up a strong reputation working with international sides such as Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Afghanistan and that has not afforded him a lot of time to spend in the Caribbean, and he has welcomed this opportunity.
“As a player internationally for 14 years, and then as an international coach for 18 years, it’s been a long time in the game,” he said. “It’s always brilliant to come home, always brilliant to come back to any part of the West Indies you know how beautiful it is here.
“I’m looking forward to getting home, home which is Trinidad. Having people come here, me getting back here, it’s always a great thing, it’s always something to look forward to.”
Simmons has already joined the PNG squad in their pre-World Cup training camp in St Kitts, and he said he has been impressed by what he has seen.
“Their energy is unbelievable,” he said. “Their warm-ups alone, got me tired. The guys look like they have settled in really well.
“In training we started to get out in the middle of their game, so they started on some of the things they have to do here in the Caribbean, and it’s nice to see the energy that’s among this squad.
“I’ve known the head coach (Taibu) for a long time, and he’s always been energetic. There is always a lot of energy, but the players seem to be pushing him where that is concerned, and so I like that atmosphere in the team, I like the liveliness in the team.”
PNG have been drawn in Group “C” alongside Afghanistan, New Zealand, Uganada, and co-hosts West Indies against whom they open the tournament on June 2 at the National Cricket Stadium in Guyana.
They play the Ugandans three days later at the same venue before heading to Trinidad, where they will face Afghans on June 13 and New Zealanders four days later.
Squad:
Assadollah Vala (c), Alei Nao, Chad Soper, CJ Amini, Hila Vare, Hiri Hiri, Jack Gardner, John Kariko, Kabua Vagi Morea, Kipling Doriga, Lega Siaka, Norman Vanua, Sema Kamea, Sese Bau, Tony Ura.