TIME TO GIVE SAMMY HIS DUE

Darren Sammy has never pretended being a great cricketer. He is never going to score 20 Test centuries and he wont take 250 Test wickets, but what he does bring to the table is an intangible quality that the West Indies lacked over the last decade or so; something that in the long run is proving to be more valuable than runs or wickets.

Ever since he was appointed captain of the West Indies in October 2010, Sammy has been the object of ridicule across the region. People have said he is not good enough a player, that he doesn’t deserve his place on the team, that he is not a Test cricketer, that he doesn’t do enough with either bat or ball and the list goes on an on. However, despite the criticism that is in part fueled by the general hatred of the West Indies Cricket Board and its immediate past CEO Ernest Hilaire, who is from Sammy’s home country of St. Lucia, Sammy has continued to lead the West Indies with pride.

Sammy has more Test wins than any other West Indies captain in the past decade, and his One Day International record isn’t bad either. His T20 resume is now impeccable as he has become the most successful T20 captain in West Indies history with the World T20 title under his belt. It is the West Indies’ first world title since the Prudential World Cup in 1979 and first piece of silverware since the Champions Trophy win at Lords in 2004.

Winning the World T20 is one thing, but to see how Sammy marshaled his troops, especially in the semi-finals and finals against perhaps the two toughest opponents – Australia and home team and hosts Sri Lanka – was to witness evidence of his growth as a captain. Almost every move worked to perfection against Australia in the semi-final and against Sri Lanka in the final, after the West Indies managed to muster 137 runs off their 20 overs, Sammy never showed any signs of despondency. In fact, it was his 26 runs from 15 balls that helped the Windies maintain momentum following the dismissal of Marlon Samuels whose masterclass performance rescued the West Indies’ innings that seemed lost at 87 for 5.

He took whatever little fight was left and honed it into a battering ram that the Windies used to mow down a Sri Lankan team that seemed destined for victory. It is something that truly objective observers of the West Indies over the past two years have witnessed with the West Indies under Sammy’s leadership; that never-say-die attitude that we only saw glimpses of in previous years.

Sammy has also been accused of ‘hiding’ behind his bowlers, but in the finals when it was critical for the Windies to get in some good quality overs in the middle of the Sri Lankan run chase, he came on and took two wickets for six runs to help his team press home the advantage.

The debate will rage on over the years about whether the first St Lucian ever to play for the West Indies will maintain a place in the team, but remember this. When Chris Gayle, a man on whom the team depends a lot, failed against Sri Lanka as he is wont do to, it was Sammy, Samuels and everyone else who pulled together to get the win. Gayle showed great leadership qualities calming Rampaul down after he was carted for 20-odd runs as the West Indies inched closer to victory, but at the end of the day it was Sammy who was the glue that held the team together until that last ball was bowled.

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18 Responses to “TIME TO GIVE SAMMY HIS DUE”

fitzroy wilson says:

October 10, 2012 at 2:14 pm

valid points but I don’t think Sammy was ridiclued because of people hatred for WICB,
he bare facts are,he was given the opportunity to captain the test team without having a track record of being a compentent test player.
It is safe to say,he would not have given this opportunity if he was not from St. Lucia.
If you are picking Captains simple because of their leadership skills Tamar Lambert from Jamaica would be West Indies Cricket Captain 100%, Darren Ganga from TT would be T20 Captain 100%,So to give Sammy is due, he has proven he can Captain our T20 team and possible 50 over
-Test cricket he has tried very hard with his personal performance even making a century but he is not a consistent test performer with either bat or ball so if he was not the Captain he would be in the team, so to give him his due,he should not be allowed to captain the test team.
Messengjah says:

October 10, 2012 at 8:43 pm

Anyone of Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin or even Chris Gayle, if he wanted to, could have captained the team with the same results. It wasn’t because of Sammy why the Windies won the world T20 tournament, rather it was due to the brilliance of Gayle and Samuels with the bat with some support from Dwayne Bravo and Pollard; and Rampaul, Narine and Badree with the ball with support from Samuels. So let’s not make believe that Sammy did anything special, as T20 cricket is really tailor-made for the big hitters and Sammy has nothing to do with the capabilities of Gayle, Samuels, Bravo, Russell and Pollard, all of whom have the natural capability to take bowlers apart.

Sammy’s appointment as captain was opportune, with heavy support biases coming from the leadership of WICB, namely Hunte and Hilaire, both of whom are also from St. Lucia. Sammy may merit his spot on the T20 team, but he is not a shoe-in for either the ODI or test teams, and his presence on both of them is due to island nepotism. He would be hard-pressed making the Jamaica 4-day team or even our 50-over team.
Trevor Lewis says:

October 11, 2012 at 9:04 am

I fully agree with the contents of the article. It is about time both Darren Sammy and Otis Gibson are given the credit they deserve for trying to lead WI cricket through this very rough period. It is so sad to witness how biased so many Jamaicans have been over the years to always want to attribute any success WI has to Jamaican players. I am Jamaican but try to have an objective view on what the game is all about. Some people may remember that when Sammy was first brought into WI team he was seen as a must for team selection. The main reason there is now an army against him is because he replaced a Jamaican who thought he was bigger than WI cricket.
Debbie says:

October 11, 2012 at 1:18 pm

He is a good captain and a fine young man. He is disciplined, well mannered and has a great attitude. Cricket is a team game and therefore it takes each member of the team to contribute. To get each member to contribute, giving it their all and their best takes a good leader. Sammy is an excellent leader. Critics say what you want, as stated so truthfully in this article, he has the best record as captain in I can’t even remember how many years. He said it best in the interview after the T20 win – “Look what they did to Jesus Christ and He didn’t do anything wrong, and who am I”. I was finally given a reason (other than I am a West Indian so I must support them) to cheer for the West Indies. Thank you Sammy!!!
Debbie says:

October 11, 2012 at 1:19 pm

PS. Take that Viv Richards!!
Frank Asphall says:

October 12, 2012 at 5:15 am

This Sammy matter should be an eyes opener for the region.Sammy may not have been a good cricketer, but he is certainly a good motivator. Now is the time for those of us in the region that are coaches not only to teach fellows how to play cricket, but also to perform leadership role.It is also telling us that leadership skills in region is at a all time low.
zwain says:

October 12, 2012 at 6:38 am

Sammy need no more dues,he is well paid. No other WI captain or player has been given the assurance and compensation package that Sammy has. In other words every player position is on merit, Sammy is guaranteed his place for extended tours whether he performs or not.
Ask Sir Viv, given enough exposure one day you might come good. The man drops more catch than a sieve, his batting is woeful, is bowling mediocre at best. And finally he could not even keep Chris Gayle from the team..what good is he, a mama’s boy who is afraid of aeroplane rides. WI could have ran an ad in the paper for a non playing captain who could keep Chris Gayle out of the team.
! says:

October 13, 2012 at 12:37 pm

Why is it that we black people, especially those of us from the region cannot work together much less support our own. I understand the need for constructive criticism but these below the belt comments are un-called for. If Sammy is that inefficient and unworthy then even more reason to celebrate this last win and his “inefficient” stunt as a captain. We in this region are emulating those from the metropolitan countries where gifts are lauded over character, respect and humility. The problem with team West Indies in the past is that we had a team of “stars” each trying to outdo each other, having little respect for authority and or even themselves. The unassuming Sammy has been able to pull the team together, harnessing those life surviving traits which which are dire for team building and working together successfully. Let’s not throw away the baby with the bath water. Although we need the batting and bowling skills, let us not forget those other non-tangible skills which are more crucial for the success of the team. Watching the past failures of the team as well as Gayle’s fraca with the WI Board has demonstrated just that. So to my mind cudos goes to captain Sammy for fulfilling beyond expectations, something not done by any captain before him since 2004, especially since there was little expectations from him, with alleged nepotism and all. One thing I know is that he lived up to the expectations of those who had confidence in him. And as a mother, I relish in the fact that he respects and loves his mom which shows that he is a wise man. We all know that behind every successful man is a competent woman and that generally the hand that rocks the cradle usually rules the world. So fellas run to mummy, there you will not only get sincere love
but unfarthomable wisdom and guidance. Hats off to all those who still believe in respect, love and unity. This is what will keep our caribbean together and recognised and appreciated. May the good Lord continue to bless captain Sammy and our team.
brenda e says:

October 13, 2012 at 12:43 pm

Why is it that we black people, especially those of us from the region cannot work together much less support our own. I understand the need for constructive criticism but these below the belt comments are un-called for. If Sammy is that inefficient and unworthy then even more reason to celebrate this last win and his “inefficient” stunt as a captain. We in this region are emulating those from the metropolitan countries where gifts are lauded over character, respect and humility. The problem with team West Indies in the past is that we had a team of “stars” each trying to outdo each other, having little respect for authority and or even themselves. The unassuming Sammy has been able to pull the team together, harnessing those life surviving traits which which are dire for team building and working together successfully. Let’s not throw away the baby with the bath water. Although we need the batting and bowling skills, let us not forget those other non-tangible skills which are more crucial for the success of the team. Watching the past failures of the team as well as Gayle’s fraca with the WI Board has demonstrated just that. So to my mind cudos goes to captain Sammy for fulfilling beyond expectations, something not done by any captain before him since 2004, especially since there was little expectations from him, with alleged nepotism and all. One thing I know is that he lived up to the expectations of those who had confidence in him. And as a mother, I relish in the fact that he respects and loves his mom which shows that he is a wise man. We all know that behind every successful man is a competent woman and that generally the hand that rocks the cradle usually rules the world. So fellas run to mummy, there you will not only get sincere love but unfathomable wisdom and guidance. Hats off to all those who still believe in respect, love and unity. This is what will keep our caribbean together and recognised and appreciated. May the good Lord continue to bless captain Sammy and our team.
Ivor says:

October 16, 2012 at 12:47 pm

I believe Sammy deserves the adulation he is now receiving. The criticisms against him over the past two years were in large part justified, as he had not really earned the position on the strength of his performance. However, he has grown into the shoes and might one day end his stint as a successful leader in West Indies Cricket. I still cannot fathom the continued exclusion of Ramnaresh Sarwan, who before his exile, was a dependable middle order batsman for the team and, has been excluded in his prime from not only adding to his personal statistics and creating opportunities for earning a living; but from assisting the team at this time as we seek to reclaim lost pride. Why isn’t he good enough to make the team ahead of these young, inexperienced and inconsistent selectees? After all, he like Gayle, was unfairly targeted by the WICB and should receive equal support from all of us for his redemption. Or is it that once the Jamaican public gets their man back, the devil can take care of the rest?
crow says:

October 19, 2012 at 11:13 am

i was not in favor of Sammy as captain when he was first appointed. All that is past and i will eat crow and now say the man has earned the right to be the west indies captain, based on his performance in the job so far. And this is not because of the T20 world cup victory. I dont remember what series it was but Kemar Roach was deliberately bounced into by a batsman from the opposing team and Sammy was livid when protesting to the umpire!! You could see it on his face and in his body language. Moreover he has given us some match winning performances with both bat and ball since assuming the captaincy. And dont bring up viv n clive n those players of old. that type of greatness and dominance will never happen again. Those men dominated great teams, not like top teams now that dominate mediocre opposition. Time for us to forget about sourface Julian and support the west indies team and its Captain. nuff said.
zwain says:

October 19, 2012 at 10:20 pm

Seriously now, every captain must excel in a particular skill in addition to show leadership. What skill does Sammy excel in, bowing, batting or fielding? Every WI captain of recent times made the team on merit. Sammy made it on island nepotism. Give me a guaranteed contract for 6 tours and even me at 60yrs is guaranteed to produce a miracle. Why support mediocrity?
Harriette Ford says:

October 22, 2012 at 1:12 pm

Congrats to Sammy and the WI team, why blame Sammy, the biggest hinderance to the WI Team was Hilaire, soon as he is gone we won a championship. Look at the debt he left the Board in,all those law suits running into millions, it was about time he left.
Arnold Canai says:

October 22, 2012 at 1:29 pm

Compare Sammy’s bowling in his 29 test to that of Fidel Edwards in his first 29 test, & remember Fidel is a strike bowler, or even Rampaul & Tino Best.
Ryan says:

October 22, 2012 at 7:31 pm

Some of the comments on this post is that of sheer ignorance. I think it’s about time to get out of this West Indies cartel, leave it for Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados and Guyana.

They seem to be the only ones who could lead in the minds of the ignorant minority…..
Jason says:

October 22, 2012 at 7:38 pm

Give a man with no leadership skills one million dollars and staff to run a company and I guarantee you he fails. Sammy brings leadership and the capacity to build social capital within the team
Sherri Manis says:

January 8, 2013 at 2:39 am

Greetings! I’ve been following your blog for a long time now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Arizona. Just wanted to tell you keep up the excellent work!
Craig Brown says:

January 23, 2013 at 11:52 am

Darren Sammy is an amazing leader. That cannot be taken from him but you have to also look at the fact that the windies team is stacked with talent so its a blessing and a curse for him as a captain.