Bipin Dani
West Indies coach Phil Simmons is likely to use walkie-talkie (and binocular, if required) for the first three days of coaching to his team during the second four day practice game at the Old Trafford, Manchester commencing on Monday from the Hilton hotel balcony.
Earliest he can return to the ground coaching on Thursday (last day of the match) subject to clearance of two negative COVID-19 tests.
The 57-year-old Simmons had to leave the team on Friday to attend the funeral of his father-in-law.
“He is now going through the re-entry process having had his whole exit and entry approved and managed by the medical teams”, one of the top CWI officials said to this reporter over telephone.
“His ground absence won’t disrupt the team preparations as we have a very big coaching and supporting staff members”, the team’s fast bowler has said at the video media conference, which was also attended by this reporter.
Simmons, however, would not be the first coach interacting with the players or the support staff with walkie talkie.
In 2007, Australian then coach John Buchanan did use this device during the tri-series match against New Zealand. Buchanan, however, had not violated the ICC rules.
In South Africa’s Mzansi Super League (MSL) in 2018, the fielding captain AB de Villiers used walkie-talkie on the field to interact with the coach Mark Boucher.
Late Bob Woolmer, who coached South Africa at the 1999 World Cup in England had used earpieces to speak with Cronje and star paceman Allan Donald on the field. However, the use of such devices is banned in the matches.
