Coach of the West Indies cricket team, Darren Sammy, believes that the huge loss to the Netherlands earlier this week shows where the team is at this point, adding there is a lot of work to be done going forward. During the match, he said the batters did well but the team did not stick to its plans.
“We were kind of poor tactically, we didn’t stick to the plans as long as possible and we just thought because we have 375 on the board we should win but cricket is not played like this and it’s a lesson for us that we cannot take any game of cricket for granted,” he said.
On Monday, in the Super Over, Netherlands decimated the West Indies by 22 runs in an ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers match at the Takashinga Sports Club in Zimbabwe. The loss, for the first time in history, put the West Indies on the brink of not qualifying for the World Cup and has sent shock waves throughout the world of cricket.
But Sammy, who has expressed disappointment over the matter, has been trying to put a brave face on it.
“I look at every day and I see what positives we can take from it and obviously as disappointed as I am, and the guys in the dressing room, you have to understand I am a very positive thinker,” he stated.
“I understand the journey that I have to take with this team. Sometimes we got to reach rock bottom to come back up. I understand the challenges ahead and I also understand things will not change overnight. It’s a true reflection of where our cricket is at the moment and we have a lot of work to do.”
Sammy pointed out that the Windies team has no one else to blame for the loss but themselves.
“We put ourselves there,” he remarked.
“We got ourselves to blame. Two crucial matches where points were on offer, found ourselves in good positions and we let it slip. In order for this train to move forward, a lot of things have to change.”
He said due to the poor performance of the players on the field and the decisions taken during the match, the Windies did not deserve to win.
“Again we keep on dropping catches and coming down to the end, some of the decisions we made, it makes you question what was going on,” he said.
“We really did not deserve to win with that display in the second half. It was really poor.”
Sammy believes that presently the West Indies is the worst-fielding team in the ICC World Cup competition and added this cannot continue.
“I speak the truth and I tell the guys that,” he remarked. “We cannot continue displaying this type of behavior and attitude on a cricket field and call ourselves an international team. In every other team, there is energy, there is a lot of things that we could take, that we supposed to be doing naturally because it is a professional sport…”
Recently, Sammy was appointed head coach of West Indies’ T20I and ODI teams.
The appointment itself was not without controversy with former captain of the team, Ramnaresh Sarwan, saying Sammy had zero coaching qualifications.
I hate to have to inform Darren Sammy that West Indies cricket have been at rock bottom for a long time now with no sign of coming back up anytime soon, unless there are drastic changes at both managerial, coaching and team selection. There are very talented players through out the region, but the selectors never seem able to put together the right combination of players with the right strategies to win. Yes, every now and then we get flash in the pan individual performances and win the odd games here and there, but we Need a new team winning mentality and approach to get back up in world cricket. This current Westindies team is classed in the “minnows” category and need to buckle up to get back into the top tiers of world cricket.
“— Ramnaresh Sarwan, saying Sammy had zero coaching qualifications.” Since the ‘qualified’ ones have been unable to get the job done, let’s give the ‘zero’ man a chance; maybe he will surprise us.
Most things in the Caribbean are turning to coal dust. The economies, rule of law, national and financial security, sports ( especially cricket), real foreign direct investments, the trajectory is pointing southward.
The batters need to occupy the wicket much longer; refrain from so many aerial shots, play with more pride and patriotism for the region.
The bowlers need to outwit the opposing batsmen. Bowl with a real plan in mind.
The fielding is atrocious. Too many catches are floored. Catches win matches.
The WI will be as strong as the club structure in each individual territory and the level of cricket played in the region against one another.
We need to play much more cricket against each other. More practice we get the better we become.
Finally, let us stop the insularity in the selection of the team and coaches. Let us make better use of our former greats. Let us attract younger many younger and talented prospects to the game. Put more cricket matches on TV.
You sound like a former cricketer. What were you back then? An allrounder or a night watchman or a refreshment cart pusher?
“I look at every day and I see what positives we can take from it……”
Darren Sammy must be delusional. What positive can you take from being beaten by a team that is composed of club cricketers?
Just admit how bad your team is and leave it at that. There are no positives here.
My question is, what is the purpose of a coach or coaches in West Indies Cricket or just cricket on a whole. Cricket is far different from American sports. That is what is keeping West Indies cricket from performing at its best. We do not need coaches. Did we have coaches in the days of Sobers, Khanhai, Lloyd, Greenidge and so forth? No, we did not. And they performed admirably. The fact is we do not have cricketers anymore in the caliber of Sobers, Richards, Lara and so forth. Our cricketers today are more boom boom clats.