ST.JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC –Former West Indies fast bowler Andy Roberts says Darren Sammy was fired as T20 captain purely on the basis of comments he made criticizing the WICB after leading the regional side to a second T20 World Cup title in India earlier this year.
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.
Although new chairman of selectors, Courtney Browne, said the side had been picked “purely on performances”, Sammy stroked 212 runs at an average of 42, during the recently concluded Caribbean Premier League.
Roberts believes that Sammy’s performance in the CPL should have earned him a spot on the team.
“This is Sammy’s best year in the CPL and you can see, this year, he was inspired by what transpired in the World T20,” said Roberts.
“I think his comments afterwards were more of a motivation for him to do well so that in the event they wanted to axe him, they would do it on the fact that it has nothing to do with cricket.”
Small but vocal protests outside the Darren Sammy National Stadium marked Tuesday’s opening day of the third Test between West Indies and India, 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.
Irate fans across the region have also taken to social media to vent their frustration over the decision, with many calling for a boycott of the ongoing Test.
Roberts also disagrees with the choice of Barbadian all-rounder Carlos Braithwaite as new T20 skipper.
The legendary pacer says the best choice ought to have been the Trinidadian all-rounder Kieron Pollard, whose captaincy of the Barbados Tridents has received widespread praise.
“I don’t know if it’s a choice,” said Roberts.
“They can’t give it to Sammy because they axed Sammy. They can’t give it to (Kieron) Pollard whom I think should be the T20 captain because, to me, he is the best captain around the region right now and they wouldn’t give it to (Dwayne) Bravo either or give it back to Chris Gayle”.
