West Indies women‘s cricket enters a new phase after October 31, 2026 marked the official end of Shane Deitz’s three-year tenure as head coach. Cricket West Indies described the parting as a decision reached mutually between the board and Deitz, with Andre Coley named interim head coach to carry the programme forward.
Coley’s first assignment will be the home series against Pakistan, running from December 8 to 22 at Windsor Park in Dominica. The schedule includes three ODIs and three T20Is, giving the new interim coach a full bilateral programme to manage from the outset.
“Shane took this team to two World Cup semi-finals in a row, and that is now the standard this group holds itself to. We thank him for it. He told us of his plans, and we agreed together that a clean handover now was best for the team. Andre brings valuable experience from across West Indies cricket system, including last year’s Men’s A-Team engagement. We appreciate his willingness to take on this assignment and ensure that preparation for Pakistan carries on without interruption,” said CWI director of cricket Miles Bascombe as quoted by Cricinfo.
What did Deitz achieve during his tenure as West Indies women’s head coach?
At the heart of Deitz’s legacy are back-to-back ICC Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final appearances, a run of consistency that lifted the bar for the entire programme. Reaching the last four in consecutive editions of the tournament placed West Indies among the more reliable performers in the global women’s game during that period.
What does Coley’s interim appointment mean for the Pakistan series preparations?
Stepping into the role, Coley will keep the existing backroom team intact. Assistant coaches Ryan Austrian and Shane Dowrich remain in their positions, providing continuity across the support structure as the squad prepares for the December fixtures at Windsor Park.
One shift in the coaching group had already taken place before this transition. Damien Wright, the Australian bowling coach, left the women’s setup in July 2026, several months before Deitz’s departure was confirmed. With Coley now in place as interim head coach, the management structure is settled ahead of the Pakistan series, and a formal recruitment process for a permanent appointment is expected to follow in due course.
