Cricket West Indies have been asked to reverse Englishman Richard Pybus’ appointment as head coach.

Pybus is currently employed as the West Indies’ high performance director – a position he held from 2013 to 2016, too.

He was named interim head coach last week, for a tenure that will start with late January 2019’s series against England and end with India’s September visit.

The Leewards Islands Cricket Board, however, have since stated Pybus was ‘handpicked’ by Cricket West Indies president Dave Cameron during an ‘unacceptable’ process.

‘It is unfortunate, unacceptable and unethical for the CWI president to single-handedly recruit a person of his choosing, and to proceed with salary negotiations without the prior knowledge of the Board,’ LICB directors Enoch Lewis and Denrick Liburd wrote in an email.

‘While the recommendation piloted by the [resident to hand-pick Mr Pybus eventually received majority support at the meeting, the records would show that the handling of this matter provoked heated debate and proved a very divisive issue among the directors.

‘This is evidenced by the equal split of votes among directors from the shareholder territories. This is a clear indication that there are concerns.’

Former Proteas wicketkeeper-batsman Nic Pothas has been the West Indies’ interim coach since Australian Stuart Law’s resignation in September 2018.

Pothas, alongside ex-West Indies cricketers Floyd Reifer, Gus Logie, Desmond Haynes, Stuart Williams and others, were in contention for the appointment secured by Pybus.

‘The president, Dave Cameron, reported that he received an email from Mr Pothas in which the interim head coach sought to justify why the job was worth more than the CWI’s offer of $12,500, and made the determination that the matter was at a stalemate. Discussion with Mr. Pothas was then terminated,’ continued the LICB’s email.

The 54-year-old Pybus previously coached the Cape Cobras and Titans franchise in South Africa – and Pakistan and Bangladesh.

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