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St John’s, Antigua —The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) yesterday announced that Richard Pybus has been appointed Director of Cricket. Pybus has been appointed on a three-year contract which will commence on November 1.

Pybus, an Englishman, is the former Pakistan head coach and worked extensively in South Africa where he served in the capacities of head coach, professional cricket manager and consultant coach with award-winning sides Titans, Border, Cape Cobras and Nashua Dolphins.

Pybus was head coach of Pakistan during the 1999 to 2003 period. He also coached the Titans and Cobras to a total of nine titles which is a South African coaching record in first-class and franchise cricket.

The 49-year-old led the establishment of the Border Cricket Academy and served as its first director. He is English and South African trained and is a Level 4 qualified coach.

WICB Chief Executive Officer Michael Muirhead commented that Pybus emerged after a rigorous international recruitment process which saw a diverse range of applicants both from the Caribbean and internationally.

“Securing the services of Richard is a major coup for the WICB as he is a rounded professional whose skills and expertise are renowned and recognised throughout the cricketing world,” Muirhead said.

“I look forward to Richard joining us in Antigua and enhancing the work which we are doing so as to ensure that all the necessary structures are in place to allow West Indian cricketers to develop and flourish regionally and internationally,” Muirhead said.

“He has extensive knowledge in designing and managing successful cricket development systems both at the grassroots and elite levels and we look forward to him building on the work we have already done in putting the various critical foundational elements in place,” Muirhead added.

Pybus said he is both delighted and honoured to be on board with the WICB.

“I am delighted and honoured to accept this key role in West Indies Cricket and to help build on the progress that has been made in recent years. I am particularly looking forward to working with the West Indies teams, the first-class sides, the high performance programme and the educational structures to ensure a rigorous, competitive system that feeds through elite players to international level,” Pybus said from his South Africa base before departing for the West Indies yesterday.

Pybus holds a degree in Media, Literature, Communications and Cultural Studies from Portsmouth University, and a post graduate certificate in Further Education from Greenwich University. He is also a certified Master Mental Skills Coach. Pybus will be based at the WICB Secretariat in Antigua. He is married and father of three children.