WEST Indies needed someone to inspire and unite and someone fully committed to the role. Darren Sammy ticked the boxes but his numbers never stacked up.ON the eve of the Test series against New Zealand late last year, Darren Sammy marked down some significant personal objectives. “I want to reassure myself as a Test captain and Test cricketer,” he said.
Little more than three weeks later, a dejected, shell-shocked Sammy sat down in the indoor nets at Seddon Park to try to explain away a West Indies collapse that had seen them lose all ten wickets in a session to consign them to a 2-0 series defeat.
“There are tough decisions to be made by the coach and the director of cricket, some careers are on the line, could be mine as well, you never know,” he said, with the honesty and openness that has always been Sammy’s way.
He was right, too. That proved his last press conference as West Indies’ Test captain and a West Indies Test cricketer. You sensed at the time that he had a gut feeling about the loss of the former status, but the latter has come somewhat out of the blue. He had never chased the captaincy but did not want to let it go yet; now that it had gone, he has decided the long format is not for him anymore.
Rumours began circulating as West Indies arrived in New Zealand from India that change could be afoot, but the gap in their Test programme since December meant the axe did not come until yesterday.
The 2-0 loss in New Zealand made it four heavy Test losses in five matches – a run broken by the notable draw in Dunedin, but which without rain would have been another loss – and although that was pegged against six wins on the bounce, those included victories against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe on home soil. Overall Sammy’s record as captain stood at: played 30, won eight, lost 12, drawn 10.
By Andrew McGlashan