In July 2004, all-rounder Darren Sammy made his debut for the West Indies against New Zealand; however, the match was called off owing to inclement weather before a ball was bowled, making his debut somewhat of a letdown. Two months later, against Bangladesh, he had another chance and took 1-19. Throughout his more than 120 ODIs for the West Indies, Sammy has nine fifties, including a career-high 89. With his medium-fast bowling, he has also amassed 81 wickets, including 4–26 in 2010. During the 2011 Cricket World Cup, Sammy participated in seven matches and recorded two three-wicket hauls. Sammy led the West Indies to their first major trophy in eight years, the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 triumph over Sri Lanka.
The Caribbean team’s performance in the present T20 World Cup reached an all-time low as the two-time champions (2012 and 2016) were unable to advance past the Super 12s. Sammy, the captain of the T20 World Cup thrice, is understandably irritated and upset. However, he is also realistic enough to recognise the real challenges, such as Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) inadequate financial stability.
Sammy is very clear that unlike BCCI, the West Indies board can never stop its players from choosing franchise leagues over playing for the assortment of island nations.
India is strong because they can tell their players that you don’t play anywhere else. You have to understand that they have the money to back it up,” Sammy told PTI in an exclusive interview on what ails West Indies cricket.
“An India A list contracted player could probably make a million dollar a year (Rs 7 crore plus match fees plus TV rights money) compared to a Windies A lister, who would earn USD 150,000 (Rs 1.2 crore roughly) .
That’s a massive difference and obviously the question of pay (disparity) will always come up. It’s very difficult for smaller boards (in terms of financial might) to keep their players together when they are handsomely paid elsewhere,” Sammy said without mincing words while hitting the nail on its head.
A sportsman’s peak period is a short one and it’s no longer an amateur sport where passion was the biggest ration for men in flannels.
Leave a Reply