Cricket South Africa has denied coach Ottis Gibson is in conversation with the England and Wales Cricket Board about succeeding the outgoing Trevor Bayliss.

Bayliss’ England contract will expire in September 2019 – and will not be renewed. Gibson’s tenure with the Proteas, meanwhile, might not extend beyond the World Cup in July.

‘Ottis hasn’t spoken to anyone at the ECB or anywhere else. He doesn’t know where this is coming from,’ TimesLIVE quoted a CSA spokesperson as saying.

Earlier this year, CSA chief executive officer Thabang Moroe effectively gave Gibson an ultimatum.

‘When the board hired Ottis it was purely to win the World Cup in England from May to July. As it stands his contracts states he has to win the World Cup,’ said Moroe.

‘I’ve been happy with what he has done. I have had a few phone calls encouraging me to speak to the board to see if they haven’t changed their mind.’

The 49-year-old Gibson, who was also the head coach of the West Indies, previously worked with England as a bowling coach.

The Proteas recently completed Test, ODI and T20I series wins over Pakistan. England, meanwhile, are smarting amid the West Indies’ two-nil Test series lead in the Caribbean.

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