Sammy earned captaincy on merit, says Hilaire

CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – West Indies Cricket Board chief executive Ernest Hilaire has dispelled any notion of a St Lucian nationalist agenda with the choice of Darren Sammy for West Indies captain.

Hilaire’s remarks came following the appointment of the 26-year-old Sammy to the helm of the regional team until the end of the 2011 Digicel Home Series.

He stressed that Sammy, the first Test cricketer to emerge from St Lucia, was not chosen on any other criteria other than his performance and leadership qualities.

“For me it is not about St Lucia or any small country. It’s about the man who is best suited for the job,” Hilaire contended.

“I think throughout our operations we want to build a meritocracy that people get promoted, they get advancement [and] they are offered retainer contracts based on their performance.

“I think we released recently our selection criteria. There is a very clear performance standards document that has been prepared for all players and no matter which country you are from, if you perform, if you meet the standards you will advance in West Indies cricket.”

Three key positions in West Indies cricket are held by St Lucians, with Julian Hunte serving as president and Hilaire as CEO.

Sammy’s first tour of duty will be leading the embattled regional side on a three-Test tour of Sri Lanka starting next month.