King confirmed as West Indies coach

Bennett King has officially been appointed as the head coach of West Indies. King was named as the coach on October 26, as reported by Wisden Cricinfo, and was given a three-year contract by the board. The board also appointed Sir Garfield Sobers as the technical consultant for the team and Anthony Howard, the former West Indian offspinner, as the manager.

King, the first foreign coach to guide West Indies, had been the head of the cricket academy in Australia and was extremely excited about his new role. "I have always said that the raw talent which the West Indies possesses is equal to any country in the world. I look forward to this assignment not least because it gives me a chance to aid in the development of players at all levels. I feel confident that at the international level, the West Indies will be once again a force to be reckoned with in both forms of the game."

This is the first time that Sobers will be helping the national team in an official capacity. He will work with specific individuals, as identified by King, for technical and tactical improvement. Sobers was happy about the appointment and said, "I hope that whatever contribution I make will assist in making this team a well-rounded championship unit."

Howard, 58, was appointed interim manager of the West Indies team following the resignation of Ricky Skerritt in March 2004. Howard had previously been manager of the Barbados team since 1998. Roger Brathwaite, the chief executive of the West Indies board, said the new team structure would see the manager as a full-time employee with overall responsibility for the West Indies team. He would travel with the team while on tour.