ST JOHN’S, Antigua CMC – Australian John Dyson has been axed as West Indies head coach, as the turmoil surrounding regional cricket intensified yesterday. 

The decision to sack Dyson was taken Wednesday at a meeting of the West Indies Cricket Board’s Executive Committee and announced in a brief press release issued yesterday evening. He had served two years of his three-year contract.

His departure comes on the heels of the bitter impasse between the WICB and the players’ union WIPA which forced the 54-year-old to oversee a makeshift Windies squad for the recently concluded two-Test, three-One-Day International series against Bangladesh.

West Indies, comprising several young, inexperienced batsmen, were whitewashed in both series.

Assistant coach David Williams will fill the vacant head coach role for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy tournament in South Africa.

The WICB has also replaced team manager Omar Khan with legendary off-spinner Lance Gibbs for the September 22 to October 5 tour.

“In view of the special circumstances pertaining to this tour, the former West Indies vice-captain and off-spin bowler, Mr Lance Gibbs, has been appointed the team manager,” the release said.

“Mr Omar Khan, the incumbent manager, has been temporarily assigned to the preparation and management of the West Indies Under-19 team for the International Cricket Council’s Youth World Cup in New Zealand in 2010.”

Dyson’s axing comes as yet another blow to an already troubled regional cricket fraternity, still reeling from the after-effects of the players’ strike that robbed the region of the marquee Windies players for the Bangladesh series.

The former Australia opener, who played 30 Tests between 1977 and 1984, was appointed Windies coach in October, 2007 after the resignation of fellow countryman Bennett King following the Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean.

Like his predecessors, Dyson failed to find any major success with a struggling Windies side despite winning his first Test in charge against South Africa at Port Elizabeth in December, 2007.

It was the Windies’ first overseas win in a Test for seven years and it raised hopes, if only temporarily, of a revival. However, the victory proved to be only one of three wins Dyson would oversee in 19 Tests in charge.

His only series win was a 1-0 triumph over England earlier this year in the Caribbean that saw West Indies recapture the Wisden Trophy after a nine-year wait.

Dyson was West Indies’ fourth coach since 2000, following the appointments of Roger Harper, Gus Logie and King.

Prior to his appointment in the Caribbean, he also coached Sri Lanka between 2003 and 2005.