WI head coach and captains added to selection panel

The West Indies head coach, Ottis Gibson and captains Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo have been added to the selection panel, as part of 19 recommendations approved by the board of directors of the West Indies Cricket Board to help improve the game in the region. The recommendations were presented by Richard Pybus, the WICB's director of cricket.

The 33-page Pybus Report follows a comprehensive three month, region-wide study which he conducted between November 2013 and January 2014. Pybus, who coached Pakistan and Bangladesh apart from a host of domestic teams around the world, took on his new position last October.

Gibson will have voting rights in the selection panel while Sammy (Test and T20 captain) and Bravo (ODI captain) are in the panel as non-voting members. They will be added to the panel that includes Clyde Butts (chairman), Robert Haynes and Courtney Browne.

Another significant recommendation was the restructuring of the first-class game in the region. There will be a structured year-round cricket programme with each team playing a minimum of ten matches per season with a home and away format, stretching the domestic season to six months. In a bid to further professionalise the game, annual contracts will be given to 15 players from each territorial board.

There will be professional coaching staff for all first-class teams and all matches will be played at international standard grounds. The WICB will appoint a Coaching Manager to implement and oversee coaching programme throughout the region and implement the Elite Coaches Pathway programme which will identify current and former players for accelerated coaching training.

There was a recommendation to downsize the number of first-class teams from seven to six to make the Regional Four Day more competitive, but the decision was deferred.

For the full list of recommendations, click here.