By Neto Baptiste
President of the Leeward Islands Cricket Board (LICB) Enoch Lewis says the body will be demanding results from newly confirmed head coach and former West Indies opening batsman, Stuart Williams.
“We are at a certain point and we are expecting to improve. We want to see that we move from where we are so we better our position in all formats of the game. We want to make sure we are moving from where we are to improvement and nothing less will really suffice,” he said.
Williams was confirmed as the new coach for the Leeward Islands Hurricanes on Wednesday, just two days after Observer media said the Nevisian was tipped to replace another former West Indies player, Antiguan Winston Benjamin.
Lewis said Williams has been hired on a two-year contract, adding that he brings a wealth of experience to the position.
“He has been around in terms of top level of West Indies teams from the youth to the women, so he brings that in terms of structure and knowledge and experience; and, as you know, his background is batting as well, so I would expect him to immediately get to work in terms of improving our batting which had been, pretty much, one of our weak suits for a while,” he said.
Three coaches had been shortlisted for the position with Williams getting the Board’s nod during a meeting on Tuesday night.
Lewis said that, in his eyes, the process was a fair and transparent one.
“I am pleased with the process that got us to the selection of the coach because there was a process where the interviews were done and, at the end of the day, the recommendation was made for the person who got the highest score – which was Stuart Williams; so I am pleased with the process and I am hoping that when he eventually comes on board that things will go very well,” he said.
According to an LICB press release, Williams will be responsible for the short and long-term playing objectives of the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, which include developing appropriate training programs, teaching game concepts, overseeing drills, providing guidance in the development of the players and, by extension, a team-oriented winning culture.