Dyson sacked as West Indies coach

West Indies cricket lurches from one precipitous state to another, with the news that the board (WICB) has sacked the coach, John Dyson, ahead of the forthcoming Champions Trophy.

Dyson departs after West Indies' calamitous Test and one-day series defeats to Bangladesh. The Windies fielded a severely depleted team following a dispute between the WICB and the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) over contracts, during which the majority of leading players declined to nominate for selection.

"At the moment I don't wish to talk," Dyson said when contacted by Cricinfo on Thursday.

Dyson will be temporarily replaced by David Williams, the assistant coach. Williams has never hid his ambition to become the side's full-time mentor, having previously expressed his dissatisfaction at the appointment of Dyson, the former Australia batsman and Sri Lanka coach, over a West Indian candidate.

Dyson assumed the post in 2007 from another Australian, Bennett King, but was almost immediately in the bad books of West Indies fans when he couldn't attend their series against Zimbabwe. His appointment came hot on the heels of Jeff Dujon's less than ringing endorsement of cricket in the region, when he said "no coach in the world can help West Indies".

Nevertheless, Dyson made a positive start when West Indies beat South Africa at Port Elizabeth - their first Test victory since May 2005, and first outside of the Caribbean in seven years. The Windies amassed a Test record of three wins, seven draws and nine defeats during his tenure - culminating in four straight losses to England and Bangladesh - and a 9-25 win-loss ratio in the one-day international arena. They lost nine of their final 10 completed 50-over matches against England, India and Bangladesh.

The West Indians fared better in the 20-over format, advancing to the semi-final of the World Twenty20 in June. But perhaps their greatest achievement under Dyson was their 1-0 Test series victory over England in February; a result that secured them the Wisden Trophy for the first time since 1998.

The feel-good factor did not last. After the ECB and WICB hastily arranged a Test and ODI series in England, Dyson was left with a disgruntled squad, several of whom yearned to be playing in the lucrative IPL. Chris Gayle prolonged his stay with Kolkata Knight Riders until the eve of the Lord's Test, while Dwayne Bravo was absent from both Test matches while plying his trade for Mumbai Indians.

In addition to Dyson's sacking, the manager, Omar Khan, has been replaced by Lance Gibbs for the Champions Trophy due to the "special circumstances" of the tour. West Indies are also sending a shadow side to South Africa in September despite the main players saying they were available for selection.