Windies coach Pybus not distracted by detractors

His appointment has been met with a mixed reaction in the Caribbean but West Indies interim head coach Richard Pybus is not losing focus.

Published : Jan 21, 2019 11:09 IST

West Indies interim head coach Richard Pybus.
West Indies interim head coach Richard Pybus.
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West Indies interim head coach Richard Pybus.

West Indies interim head coach Richard Pybus insisted he is not letting the row regarding his appointment cloud his focus ahead of the Test series against England.

It was announced earlier this month that Pybus, formerly director of cricket and high-performance director with the Windies, would take charge of the team through to September.

That decision was not met with universal approval in the Caribbean, and former captain Darren Sammy was among those to voice his displeasure.

On Friday, Cricket West Indies issued a release describing Pybus as the "architect of the trifecta of 2016 World Cup titles (World T20, Women's World T20 and Under-19 World Cup)".

Sammy, skipper for the first of those triumphs, responded on Twitter: "Are u serious..Get out of here with this nonsense. WI won inspite of all the challenges faced or brought on by you. Pybus selection will never and can never be justified.

 

But Pybus is paying little heed to any talk surrounding his appointment as he concentrates on the upcoming three-Test series with England, which begins on Wednesday in Barbados.

"It's part of the landscape. I have just got to get on with the job, really," Pybus said.

"Criticism is part of the tapestry and the drama around sport. I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into England. I don't want to sound too 'Zen' but I'm really focused on the first day and making sure we're ready.

"I don't want to unpack the past. Darren is entitled to his opinion. I don't want to give boring one-liners but I did three years as director of cricket and what's in the results bank is in the results bank.

"It's the players on the park who deliver. But I was satisfied at the time with how the programmes supported players.

"It's the Caribbean, you've got 16 countries. It's not like England, Australia or South Africa. With the internal politics, there's always discussion. Unless you've spent a considerable amount of time in the region it's difficult to understand quite how challenging it is."

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