PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – West Indies coach Ottis Gibson says West Indies need to quickly put their disappointing performance against Australia behind them and focus on their upcoming assignments. The regional squad returned from a wretched tour Down Under on Thursday where they lost their five-match one-day series 4-0 and were also clean-swept in the subsequent two-match Twenty20 affair.

Gibson, who this week took over from David Williams as head of the team, said if West Indies did not leave the past behind they faced the threat of extending their losing record.

“It was a difficult tour, we all recognise that but the guys have to put that to bed now,” said Gibson, the former West Indies fast bowler.

“They need to focus on the next series against Zimbabwe which will be a challenge for us. If they stay negative then this would lead to a negative mind set.

“They need to plan and prepare well for this series and don’t look back because they run the risk of continuing that poor record.”

West Indies will attempt to regroup as they face Zimbabwe in a one-off Twenty20 International on Sunday, a precursor to the five-match One-Day International series starting in Guyana next week.

The hosts will enter the series on the backs of an unenviable record, having lost eight of their last 10 international matches in all three forms of the game.

Further, they have won just two of their last 19 Tests and are without a series win against top flight opposition in ODIs in nearly two years.

While Gibson acknowledged the magnitude of the task before him, he backed the regional side to improve their fortunes.

“It will be a challenge moving forward and people always back us to take us back to glory days. Clive Lloyd was able to get the team to play for one cause, play for the people and to win,” the 40-year-old pointed out.

“We have to get together and identify a brand that is good for us and when people come and see they would rally for us again and we would continue to improve.”

He added: “Pound for pound West Indies players have as much talent as everyone else in the cricket world. What the guys need to do is to be more professional in their approach. They need to see themselves as professionals and behave in that manner to improve.