GROS ISLET, St Lucia, CMC – Discarded West Indies Twenty20 captain Darren Sammy has urged his countrymen to support the ongoing Test match between West Indies and India, despite their anger of his sacking.
Small but vocal protests outside the Darren Sammy National Stadium marked Tuesday’s opening day of the third Test, as St Lucian fans vented their disgust over the decision by selectors to axe Sammy from the squad for the two T20 Internationals against India in Florida at month-end.
However, the 32-year-old Sammy spoke to protesters on his arrival at the ground, thanking them for their support but also attempting to calm tensions.
“St Lucians have always showed their support for me so I’m not surprised by the support I’ve received,” Sammy said.
“But like I said, it is important that we support the cricket and the cricketers because we must differentiate between the decisions taken at the board level and the men playing the cricket.
“These men out there … need our support. They are my teammates and who knows? I may be playing soon with them again. I’m not retired,” he added with a laugh.
Sammy announced last Friday via social media that he had been sacked from the T20 squad, with the West Indies Cricket Board confirming the decision on Monday in a media release.
Irate fans here and across the region took to social media to vent their frustration over the decision, with many calling for a boycott of the ongoing Test.
The game, the first international at the venue since it was renamed in Sammy’s honour, has been marked by poor attendances over the first two days.
New chairman of selectors, Courtney Browne, said the T20 side had been picked “purely on performances”. However, Sammy stroked 212 runs at an average of 42, during the recently concluded Caribbean Premier League, a fact the former Test and one-day captain pointed out.
“I believe the criteria for selection for T20 cricket is the Caribbean Premier League and my performance [there] speaks for itself,” he said.
Four months ago, Sammy led West Indies to their second Twenty20 World Cup title when the regional side beat England in a dramatic final in Kolkata.
However, following the game, he was openly critical of the WICB for what he termed their lack of support for the team – a factor many believe was critical in the player’s axing.
With his career now seemingly at the crossroads, Sammy said there was still much to come in his future.
“Where I am heading, I won’t let any decision by any man dictate where Darren Sammy is heading,” he said.
“I am a blessed child. Whenever I am faced with adversity, I’ve always risen above the challenge. This is just another hurdle and I’m just looking forward to continuing my life.”
