Former West Indies captain Carl Hooper will join the team as assistant coach

Former West Indies captain Carl Hooper will join the West Indies team as an assistant coach ahead of the ODI series against the United Arab Emirates and ICC World Cup qualifiers. Along with Daren Sammy, who is the white-ball head coach of the team, Hooper will return as the assistant coach. After playing cricket for the West Indies for more than 15 years, he has been a coach and mentor in Australia and the Caribbean.

Carl Hooper was also the assistant coach of the Adelaide Strikers in Australia’s Big Bash League season last summer. He has also been the coach of the Antigua Hawksbills and Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League and previously mentored the West Indies High Performance Centre in Barbados. The all-rounder has played 329 international matches for the West Indies, scored 5000 runs, and taken over 100 wickets in both Tests and ODIs. He was the captain of the team from 2001 to 2003.

Sammy and Hooper will take West Indies to another level

In an interview, Hooper said, “When Darren initially contacted me about this big opportunity, I immediately affirmed my interest, as I truly want to help with this challenge and make a meaningful impact. I sturdily believe it is time for West Indies cricket to move forward, and I am confident in my ability, knowledge, and experience to assist in this journey.

Former West Indies Under-19 player Floyd Reifer, who was also the captain of the test team for two matches in 2009, joined the White Ball coach staff along with former New Zealand all-rounder James Franklin. Sammy said, “Having the right group around you who share the same vision is important, this group is full of hard-working, passionate men who have no egos. Together, our desire is to make a positive impact on the players and West Indies cricket.

World Cup qualifiers start soon 

Starting June 4, the West Indies will play three ODI matches against the United Arab Emirates and prepare for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe. The West Indies have won the cricket world cup twice, and now they have been placed in Group A, where they will start their campaign against the United States on June 18. The team will also face hosts Zimbabwe, Nepal, and the Netherlands in the preliminary round of the qualifiers. A total of ten teams will compete for the remaining two spots in the World Cup, which is going to be held in India this year.