Gibson joins England set-up

Ottis Gibson (centre) on coaching duty with the England Academy © Getty Images

England have appointed Durham all-rounder Ottis Gibson as a specialist bowling coach for the forthcoming one-day and Test series in Sri Lanka.

Current bowling coach Allan Donald, who was recruited on a short-term contract this year, informed coach Peter Moores of his unavailability for the two trips to Sri Lanka earlier this summer.

Donald has television commitments in South Africa before Christmas, which has opened up an opportunity for 38-year-old Gibson, who worked alongside Moores during his time as National Academy director.

Gibson, who played two Tests and 15 one-day internationals for West Indies in the late 1990s, took 10 wickets in an innings for Durham against Hampshire in July, but admitted at the time that he may call time on his playing career at the end of the season.

“We always knew he wasn’t going to be able to do this part of it because he’s got commitments in South Africa,” Moores said of Donald, who was hired at the start of the summer after taking over as coach.

“He’s got quite a tough decision because he’s got a young family and he’s obviously already done the international circuit once as a player. He has to decide whether he wants to go down that route again.”