New Zealand Coach Bob Carter Appointed as Batting Consultant for Cricket West Indies

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced the appointment of Bob Carter, an experienced coach from New Zealand, as its batting consultant. His one-year term, which commenced on September 1, 2026, is focused on enhancing batting standards throughout the West Indies and fortifying the regional coaching framework in preparation for significant international competitions.

Carter's role is particularly crucial as the West Indies gear up for the Men's ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier scheduled for February-March 2027. His initial task involves a regional tour later this month, where he will engage with players and coaches across all six first-class territories: Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the Leeward Islands, and the Windward Islands.

Carter's responsibilities will focus on two main objectives: offering specialized technical guidance to both elite and emerging batsmen, and enhancing the capabilities of regional and high-performance coaches to create effective individual batting programs. He aims to collaborate closely with coaches to improve support for elite players returning to their territories and work with CWI’s High-Performance team to develop batting modules for the regional coaching pathway.

"West Indies cricket has a rich history of producing exceptional batsmen, and my role is to help establish a foundation for future generations of world-class players," Carter stated. He emphasized his commitment to supporting players and coaches in reaching their full potential and looks forward to collaborating with regional and high-performance coaches.

With over 30 years of coaching experience, Carter most recently held the position of High-Performance Coach with New Zealand Cricket from 2012 to 2025, where he contributed to player development, performance planning, and talent identification. His previous roles include Head Coach of the New Zealand Women’s team and Assistant Coach for the Men’s team, along with coaching positions at Canterbury and Wellington, and serving as Director of Cricket at Northamptonshire County Cricket Club in England.

Miles Bascombe, CWI Director of Cricket, highlighted that this appointment aims to enhance both player and coaching standards. He noted, "West Indies teams will participate in at least six global events over the next 24-30 months, including the Men’s World Cup Qualifier next February. The actions we take now are designed to set the stage for future success. Bob’s immediate task is to elevate the technical standards as we approach these events." Bascombe added that the true measure of success will be the improvement in coaching capabilities and the integration of these enhancements into the broader coaching education framework.