West Indies rope in Carl Hooper as assistant coach ahead of World Cup Qualifier
West Indies Cricket has acquired the services of Carl Hooper to assist head coach Darren Sammy in white-ball cricket. Apart from Hooper, they have also hired Floyd Reifer and James Franklin ahead of the upcoming ODIs against UAE and the World Cup qualifiers scheduled to start in June.
The cricket calendar for the West Indies cricket team includes some crucial matches in the upcoming months which include the World Cup Qualifiers scheduled to start from June 18. Ahead of the series, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has signed Carl Hooper and Floyd Reifer as assistant coaches who will work alongside the head coach of the white-ball team, Daren Sammy. James Franklin is another former cricketer who will join the coaching staff of the Caribbean side.
Hopper has experience in coaching at various levels in the West Indies and Australia, He has worked with Adelaide Strikers during the 2022-23 season of the Big Bash League while the former West Indies captain has also carried a similar role in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) for Antigua Hawksbills and Guyana Amazon Warriors.
"When I was initially approached by Daren about the potential opportunity, I immediately confirmed my interest, as I really want to help with the challenge and make a meaningful impact. I firmly believe that it is time for West Indies Cricket to ascend, and I am confident in my ability, knowledge, and experience to aid in this endeavour,” Hooper told, reported CWI.
Reifer was West Indies’ interim head coach during the 2019 World Cup and has also coached the West Indies A team. The 50-year-old has also coached Jamaica Tallwahs in the CPL. Franklin, who has experience of playing 31 Tests and 110 ODIs, has served as head coach of Durham, and assistant coach at Birmingham Pheonix.
West Indies are included in Group A along with the Netherlands, Nepal, Zimbabwe, and USA for the World Cup Qualifier.