West Indies head coach Phil Simmons will step down from his role after the team's dismal T20 World Cup campaign in Australia, Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced. Simmons' last assignment will be the Test series against Australia from November 30 to December 12.West Indies suffered an early exit in the first round of the T20 World Cup. The team finished last in the four-team Group B, with only one win and two defeats. The teams that finished in the first and second positions progressed to the Super 12 stage of the tournament.
"I acknowledge that it’s not just the team that is hurting but the proud nations we represent as well. It’s disappointing and heart wrenching but we just didn’t turn up. We weren’t good enough and we now have to watch a tournament play-out without our involvement. It's unfathomable and for that I deeply apologise to our fans and followers," Simmons said in a CWI statement. "From a personal perspective, this is not a knee jerk reaction, but a move I have been considering for some time and now is the time to make public that I will step down as West Indies Head Coach at the end of the Test series against Australia. It is earlier than hoped for, but I will now focus my energies in Australia on continuing to build on the excellent progress the Test team has made. Of course, as the President has pointed out, we will also carry out the necessary review into our World Cup campaign."Simmons earlier coached the 2016 World Cup-winning West Indies side. He was at the helm when West Indies earned a hard-fought 1-0 Test series win over England and clinched the Richards-Botham Trophy this year.
