LONDON-- Ottis Gibson is taking over as coach of his native West Indies, his former England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) employers said on Tuesday.
"Ottis has been a valuable member of my management team and we will all be sorry to see him leave," said England coach Andy Flower of his former fast bowling coach.
"However we recognise that being offered the chance to be head coach of your country was an offer that would be hard for Ottis to resist. We wish him well in the future," added Flower in an ECB statement.
Gibson, 40, seems likely to take charge of West Indies for the limited-overs matches against Zimbabwe which start with a Twenty20 in Trinidad on Feb. 28.
West Indies have been without a permanent head coach since John Dyson was sacked last August. Since then they have been led by former assistant coach David Williams.
"I will always be grateful to the ECB for the opportunities they gave me as a bowling coach," said Gibson.
"I would like to thank Andy Flower as well for all the advice, encouragement and support he has given me in the last year. It was a privilege to be a part of such an outstanding and successful team." Former paceman Gibson, who played two tests and 15 one-dayers for West Indies, became England's fast bowling coach in 2007.
He was an integral part of the backroom staff in the Ashes triumph against Australia last year and has been credited with the improvement in bowlers such as James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
