Former Barbados and West Indies fast bowler Tino Best and veteran cricket commentator Joseph “Reds” Perreira are predicting that Phil Simmons will be the new head coach of the West Indies team. But both have agreed that cricket icon Desmond Haynes must be allowed to contribute to West Indies cricket in some form.

Tino Best believes CWI did the West Indies team an injustice by dismantling the coaching and selection team only weeks before the World Cup.

Haynes, Simmons and interim head coach Floyd Reifer are the three candidates shortlisted from an original pool of 34 applicants, which was then whittled down to six for the purpose of interviews. These interviews were conducted by CWI vice-president Dr Kishore Shallow, director of cricket Jimmy Adams, human resources manager Oneka Martin-Bird, independent director Debra Coryat Patton and United Kingdom-based coaching educator Gordon Lord.

Best said while he had no problem if Haynes was appointed coach, he believed the fact that the former outstanding opening batsman was from a different era and had not held a major coaching position for several years might stand against him.

Even though he believed Haynes would not be appointed to the post of head coach, Best said the former West Indies vice-captain still had an important role to play in West Indies cricket.

While Best did not see Reifer being appointed to the post after the West Indies’ disastrous performance at the World Cup and against India in the region, he said the interim coach had it in him to be a future head coach of the team.