Ottis Gibson is to remain with the England squad throughout the Test series against West Indies.
While Gibson, the England bowling coach, is expected to be unveiled as South Africa’s new head coach within days – possibly by the end of this week – he will not start his new role until after the end of the third Test, which starts on September 7.
Although Gibson is contracted to the ECB until the end of the 2018 season, it is understood that the ECB and CSA have now agreed a compensation package which allows him to leave early.
Gisbon and CSA are still negotiating his own contract details, though it is not anticipated that there will any change of heart from either party at this stage.
With Gibson expected to have left the ECB ahead of the limited-overs matches against West Indies – there are five ODIs and a T20I scheduled before the end of September – England may need to appoint an interim bowling coach.
In the longer-term, the likes of Richard Johnson (currently with Middlesex) and Graeme Welch (currently with Leicestershire) are front-runners for the role. ESPNcricinfo revealed last week that Darren Gough, who recently worked with England Under-19s, could gain some sort of consultancy role working with the white-ball teams. (ESPNCricinfo)
