Former West Indies captain Daren Sammy has urged cricket’s governing bodies to treat racism more seriously and pay it the same attention they give to upholding the integrity of the game.
Athletes across the world have spoken out about racism in sport as part of the Black Lives Matter protests after the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25
Former West Indies skipper Darren Sammy made fresh allegations against his Sunrisers Hyderabad teammates, saying that he remembered being called ‘Kalu’ during his time with the Indian Premier League club while his teammates used to laugh.
In an Instagram post with caption ‘Knowledge is power’, Sammy wrote, “So recently I discovered a word that I was being called was not what it actually meant I need some answers. So before I start calling out names I need these individuals to reach out and please tell me there’s another meaning to that word and when I was being called it,it was all in love.”
In July, when West Indies faced the growing likelihood – since confirmed – that they would not qualify directly for the 2019 World Cup, Cricket West Indies (CWI) offered to temporarily relax their ODI selection policy of only picking players who featured in the domestic 50-overs tournament. This, they hoped, would pave the way for the likes of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine to play ODIs and strengthen the team’s chances of getting through the World Cup Qualifier in March 2018.
West Indies are left to play just one further ODI series, against New Zealand, before they head to Zimbabwe to feature in the World Cup Qualifiers next March.
Sammy was critical of the selection policy, especially when allied to how little money the players stood to make from domestic cricket as against playing in franchise T20 tournaments around the world.
“That’s the problem,” Sammy said. “When it all started with the past CEO [Michael Muirhead] and (former) director of cricket Richard Pybus, he said ‘West-Indies-first policy’. But you say West Indies first, but the first thing you do you cut the salaries. That doesn’t work.
“You telling guys ‘don’t go and play elsewhere [where] they pay much better, stay at home,’ but the first thing you’re doing is you cut the salaries playing at home.”
In this environment, Sammy felt the temporary amnesty would not solve the standoff between the board and the T20 freelancers, and that CWI would need to draw up flexible contracts to allow players to represent West Indies while also featuring in their choice of T20 leagues.
“I think if you tell guys you have two or three tournaments a year where you get to choose. We give you a white-ball contract or your red-ball contracts, well the retainer contracts. You come back you play home (domestic cricket). If IPL is playing, those who have the contract to play in IPL you go and play. Those not in the IPL you stay home and play.
“Then you have the Pakistan Super League, where the lesser guys tend to filter into that league. So you say ‘okay, you play here, those not playing in that league you have to return.’ And you make the retainer contract something attractive.”
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