Jamaican and former West Indies head coach Andre Coley says he is looking forward to playing a key role in Bermuda’s cricket campaign at the North American Cup, which serves as part of their preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup Americas Qualifiers.
Coley, who led the West Indies Test team and previously served on coaching staffs during the Windies’ T20 World Cup triumphs in 2012 and 2016, will serve as a high-performance consultant for Bermuda during the inaugural North American Cup. The tournament will see Bermuda face off against host nation Cayman Islands, Canada, the United States, and the Bahamas.
"I am pleased to be supporting the Bermuda Cricket Board as a consulting coach during the upcoming North American Cup as part of CWI’s commitment to aid in cricket development in Bermuda,” said Coley.
"The associate nations have always played an exciting brand of cricket, primarily across the white-ball formats, and have had numerous outstanding performances. It is an exciting time for cricket in the region, and I am looking forward to working closely with the board, coaches, and players as they prepare for the ICC T20 World Cup Americas Qualifiers," he added.
Coley’s involvement stems from a collaborative agreement between Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB), formed during the ICC Americas Annual Regional Conference in Costa Rica earlier this year.
Bermuda’s head coach Cal Waldron welcomed the opportunity to work alongside one of the region’s most respected coaching minds.
"The opportunity to work with Mr. Coley is a great one, as it will elevate our team around player management and team performance. It will also offer the BCB an opportunity to access one of the region's most knowledgeable coaching resources to help modernise our high-performance objectives,” Waldron said.
"It’s a unique opportunity to be in the presence of a high-performance elite coach, who will share his coaching knowledge and experiences with us. I hope that his feedback and presence are warmly embraced and appreciated by all BCB stakeholders and the senior men’s national team," he added.
Waldron also expressed hope that Coley's role would extend beyond the current competition.
"I would like to see these partnerships become the norm within our national team programmes," he noted.
BCB president Lloyd Smith echoed that sentiment, noting the broader significance of the partnership with CWI.
"The BCB is elated to have the memorandum of understanding commence with the launch of the NACC and sees this as an opportunity for the advancement of international match fixtures, cultural exchange, and increased interaction between CWI and all members of the ICC Americas region,” Smith said.
He also praised the collaborative efforts that brought the initiative to life, singling out former CWI CEO Johnny Graves, Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe, Lynford Inverary, and newly appointed CEO Chris Dehring for their support.
Bermuda will open their campaign on Saturday against Canada, followed by matches against the Cayman Islands and the United States on Sunday and Monday. After a rest day, they close the group stage against the Bahamas on April 23.