CASTRIES, St Lucia,  CMC – West Indies all-rounder Darren Sammy was on Thursday officially confirmed as the new Windward Islands captain for the WICB President’s Cup limited overs competition starting in Guyana next week.

The St Lucia captain Sammy replaces Grenadian Rawl Lewis, who has led the team for the past decade.

The announcement was made by chairman of the selection committee Julian Charles at a news briefing at the Green Parrot Hotel where all four teams competing in the current Windward Islands cricket series were housed.

“I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to Rawl Lewis for the job he did as Windward Islands captain,” Charles said.

“It is not an easy job captaining a team with players from four different countries but Rawl Lewis did an admirable job, bringing in a trophy in the process. ….. we wish Darren Sammy all the best in his new job as captain of the Windward Islands cricket team,” Charles said before announcing the team.

Also present were Sammy, Chief Executive Officer of the Windward Islands Cricket Board Lennox John and team coach Ian Allen, a former West Indies fast bowler.

The Windwards’ 14-man President’s Cup squad includes only one newcomer in Dominican opener Tyrone Theophile for the October 28 to November 5 tournament.

Sammy is joined by other St Lucians Garey Mathurin and Craig Emmanuel in the squad.

The others have been regular members of the team at various intervals over the past few years and are bolstered by current West Indies players Devon Smith and Andre Fletcher.

The very experienced Lewis has also been retained in the squad, which has Lockhart Sebastien retained as manager.

The Windwards will contest Zone A of the President’s Cup with defending champions Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC), who they open against next Wednesday.

Zone B will have Guyana, Barbados, Leeward Islands, and West Indies Under-19s.

WINDWARDS SQUAD – Darren Sammy (captain), Devon Smith, Miles Bascombe, Andre Fletcher, Tyrone Theophile, Donwell Hector, Garey Mathurin, Craig Emmanuel, Rawl Lewis, Nelon Pascal, Liam Sebastien, Mervin Matthew, Shane Shillingford, Deighton Butler.