BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

West Indies cricket coach Ottis Gibson says he has begun preliminary discussions with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) with the aim of having his current three-year contract renewed.

Gibson's initial contract with the WICB expires next February and the former West Indies player has already expressed an interest in continuing in the position.

Gibson is expected to continue talks on his future as West Indies coach with a new CEO set to replace Ernest Hilaire, who is spending his last month on the job.

Hilaire is due to take up a new post as St Lucia's high commissioner to London.

"It is up to the board ... we have had tentative discussions already. I have made no secret of the fact that as far as I am concerned the job is a three- to five-year situation" said Gibson, currently with the West Indies team in Sri Lanka preparing to compete in the ICC Twenty20 tournament starting next week.

"We have only had three years ... so they know how I feel ... so it's up to them at the end of the day how they will decide."

Gibson played two Tests and 15 ODIs for the West Indies and was previously England's bowling coach before he became head coach of the Caribbean side.

four from 21

Under Gibson, West Indies have played 21 Tests with four wins, nine losses and eight draws, winning series against Bangladesh and New Zealand, but losing to South Africa, India, Australia and England.

However, with West Indies preparing to go to battle in a potentially competitive World T20 competition, contract renewal, he says, is not foremost in his mind.

"Obviously, there is a new CEO coming and stuff like that ... I think there is a board meeting this week and I don't know if they are discussing it, but I am not focusing on that at the moment," Gibson told reporters before leaving the Caribbean.

"I still have six months, and the most important month right now is the next month in the ICC T20 World Cup."