ST JOHN&https://#8217;S, Antigua (CMC) &https://#8212; Former all-rounder Phil Simmons has been confirmed as the new West Indies coach and will oversee the Caribbean side&https://#8217;s three-Test series against England starting here next month.

In a release yesterday, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) quelled rampant speculation over Simmons&https://#8217; future by announcing that the 51-year-old Trinidadian would take up the post made vacant by the axing of Barbadian Ottis Gibson last August, just ahead of the Bangladesh series.

Simmons, who spent the last eight years in charge of Ireland, was selected from among seven candidates and has been handed a three-year contract.

CMC Sports had reported last month that Simmons was poised to take up the new role once his commitments with Ireland at the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup had expired.

Michael Muirhead, the WICB&https://#8217;s chief executive, said Simmons was the right person to take the team forward.

&https://#8220;We are thrilled with the appointment of Phil and we believe he is the right individual for our team and our region at this time, so we want to welcome him back home,&https://#8221; Muirhead said.

&https://#8220;Phil has a proven ability to develop players, while cultivating great team spirit and a winning culture. We have a number of young, talented players about whom he is excited to be coaching and we believe he is the right by UniDeals&https://#8221; style=&https://#8221;border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;&https://#8221;>fit.&https://#8221;

He continued: &https://#8220;Phil has impressed us with his understanding of the current realities of West Indies cricket and his ability to articulate practical examples and strategies of things that could be implemented within the team to improve performance.&https://#8221;

Simmons has had exceptional success as Ireland coach since succeeding Adi Birrell back in 2007. During his tenure, he has overseen the capture of two Intercontinental Cups, while ensuring qualification for four successive World Twenty20 campaigns.

In 2013, Ireland &https://#8212; an associate International Cricket Council member &https://#8212; became the first team to win the Associates&https://#8217; treble of the Intercontinental Cup, World Cricket League and Twenty20.

Ironically, only recently, Simmons inspired Ireland to a shock four-wicket victory over West Indies in their opening game of the Cricket World Cup.

A former Zimbabwe coach, Simmons said he was anxious to get to work in creating &https://#8220;a winning culture&https://#8221; in the West Indies team.

&https://#8220;West Indies have a tremendous history and prestige in the game, and I am honoured to have been given this opportunity to be head coach,&https://#8221; he said.

&https://#8220;There is an abundance of young talent coming through the ranks and to be able to assist with the development of the future playing talent in the West Indies is fantastic. I can&https://#8217;t wait to begin and I am looking forward to starting work with the players.&https://#8221;

He continued: &https://#8220;I am excited to be beginning this new chapter in my coaching career and to have the opportunity to create a winning culture.

&https://#8220;West Indies have a huge following across the world and I have great admiration for the passion fans show for our team. We are determined to give the supporters the brand of cricket and the level of success that we are all looking to achieve.&https://#8221;

Simmons brings to the post an international playing career that spanned 12 years and included 26 Tests and 143 One-Day Internationals.

He will have a rough initiation, however, with the English arriving shortly for the April 6 to May 5 series and powerful Australia following afterward for two Tests in June.