Call For Removal Of Phil Simmons After West Indies Head Coach Attends Funeral

A Cricket West Indies (CWI) official has sought the “immediate removal” of head coach Phil Simmons for moving out of the team’s bio-secure location in order to attend a funeral. The former West Indies player attended his father-in-law’s funeral ahead of the three-Test series against England beginning July 8.

Last Friday, Phil Simmons left the West Indies squad to attend the funeral following which he started the self-isolation process. As per the protocol, he needed to spend a minimum of five days away from the rest of the group.

He must also twice test negative for coronavirus at the start and end of that period before resuming what have become normal activities for the West Indies squad over the past three weeks in England. And amidst all these, CWI member Conde Riley, who also heads the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), called Phil Simmons’ actions reckless despite the fact that the coach had taken the board’s permission.

“I am being bombarded by concerned parents and members of the BCA. This behaviour is inconsiderate and reckless. It endangers the lives of those 25 young men in the UK and in fact the entire management team and cannot be tolerated,” Riley was quoted as saying by ‘ESPNcricinfo’.

“The English press will have a feast on his judgement and I suggest we act swiftly,” he added.

CWI said Simmons’ entry and exit from the team’s bio-secure environment was approved before he made short trip.

“The entire process of his exit and re-entry to the bio-secure location was approved and managed by the medical teams of the CWI and the ECB and strictly followed protocols set up prior to the tour which addressed such scenarios,” the CWI statement said.

“Following his return, Simmons has been in self-isolation away from other members of the squad, exactly as had always been planned. He has so far undergone two COVID-19 tests since Friday both of which came back negative.

“He will have another test on Wednesday before he will re-join the squad as they prepare for the three-match #RaiseTheBat Series against England,” added the statement.

The three-match series, meanwhile, marks the resumption of international cricket, which was suspended in March in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. The ODI between Australia and New Zealand on March 13 was the last international game.

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