Switchblade Posted July 13, 2011 Posted July 13, 2011 http://cricket.expressindia.com/news/best-player-neednt-be-captain/816771/ Roseau: Darren Sammy is not a popular captain. Neither is he a revelation as a cricketer. Yet, the all-rounder from St Lucia has been bestowed with the responsibility of pulling West Indies cricket out of its rut. In a freewheeling chat with The Indian Express, Sammy speaks his mind about criticism, Chris Gayle and Christ’s crucifixion. Excerpts: You are probably the most criticised man in West Indies cricket today. How do you deal with the pressures? * Of course my record doesn’t match up to a world-class player but what I have is passion, the heart and the motivation. As long as you have mental toughness you can achieve anything you believe in. That’s how I go about doing things. I don’t see myself as a saviour. I see myself as someone who tries his best to make a difference. What did you tell the players when you took over? * The talk in the media was that I shouldn’t be the captain and that I was not the person for the job. I remember I used to pull the guys aside and telling them that I did not ask for this position; it was given to me. Anybody who has West Indies cricket in their heart will go out there and give their best. And that was my message to them. They are not playing for me or the coach. They are playing for the millions of supporters we have, who wake up early morning or stay up at night to watch us. Did you ever think captaincy would become a Sammy vs Gayle issue? * My wife told me the other day before I was captain, I was the most loved cricketer in the region (laughs). The whole situation with Gayle is not in my hands. The people dealing with that have asked Gayle what he needs to do and stuff. And the coach has a way forward for the team and I believe whoever doesn’t want to buy into that, doesn’t want to fit into that. Why do you think he doesn’t fit in? * No, I never said he doesn’t fit in the team. The matter is being dealt with and the sooner they resolve the matter the better it would be for us. I have no issues with Christopher. He helped me throughout the World Cup. I was always going to him for advice and stuff like that. It’s sad that we have issue like this now. Hopefully something positive will come out of this. Critics feel if you were not the skipper, you wouldn’t make it to the team — someone like Kemar Roach would. * At the end of the day, if I look at my Test record, it’s okay. In every team somebody will be always be the fall guy. So far, it’s always been me. Kemar, it’s tough luck for him. At the end of the day the selectors pick the team and Fidel Edwards came and took so many wickets on his return to international cricket. What’s good is that we have competition for spots in the bowling. Some people call you a puppet of the board. A ‘board man’. What do you have to say about that? * ‘Board man’! I really don’t know what they mean by that. The selectors recommended that I be the captain and I am doing my job. You’ve said that Fire in Babylon inspired you, did you get emotional during the viewing? * Very emotional. I remember watching it in St Lucia for the first time. Watching our great cricketers, from where we started and where we got and to where we are now. It was a reality check. We have to give it our all in order to honour the legacy that we represent. There has never been a West Indies captain who has not been the best player — Lloyd, Richards, Lara. Did the fact that you weren’t a regular in the side affect you? * Well, that was in the past man. We are looking towards the future. The best player is not always the best captain. That’s just things in the past. I respect all the captains who have led the West Indies. Dating back to the first black man who captained the West Indies, Frank Worrell. He set the tone for everybody to follow. So to see your name up there, has captaincy been a dream come true? * It’s not a dream come true, as I never dreamt about it. What I respect is the legacy these guys created and the history they have left behind. What have you discovered about yourself during this phase? * That I am mentally very tough. I surprise myself. I am even tougher than I thought. Even my team mates have realised that. Like I said, I thank my mom for raising me in such a way that I am so mentally strong. I have utmost faith in Jesus Christ. He did nothing wrong and yet he was crucified. So I am prepared since I made my debut, I have always been under pressure.
bihutoli Posted July 13, 2011 Posted July 13, 2011 I am starting to take a liking to this guy. Although a crap bat he's more than a handy bowler and has a real positive attitude around all the **** thats going on around the WICB and WIPA right now. He's playing rather well with the cards he's been dealt with and I do think the Windies players are coming round to him.
Switchblade Posted July 13, 2011 Author Posted July 13, 2011 I am starting to take a liking to this guy. Although a crap bat he's more than a handy bowler and has a real positive attitude around all the **** thats going on around the WICB and WIPA right now. He's playing rather well with the cards he's been dealt with and I do think the Windies players are coming round to him. Agree
panesarv Posted July 13, 2011 Posted July 13, 2011 I agree with this - best player does not have to be captain.
Bradman99 Posted July 13, 2011 Posted July 13, 2011 I like this guy, seems like a down to earth and likeable guy and what he says is true.
Vijay.Sharma Posted July 13, 2011 Posted July 13, 2011 Yeah, I am impressed with Sammy as well. Read a nice article on him / WI in cricinfo's Inbox - There is a theory doing the rounds that with Darren Sammy in the eleven, the Windies will always be either one batsman short, or one bowler short. It is an easy argument to make. Sammy, the batsman, struggles to make an impact because he does not have the defensive technique to play a long innings. Sammy, the bowler, is a holder, and he cannot be more than that at his pace. The only successful attacking Test bowler at Sammy's pace in recent memory is Shaun Pollock, and Sammy doesn't have the skill or the control to be Shaun Pollock. On the morning of the first day of the third Test, I prayed that West Indies would have the courage to play one batsman less, and pick Kemar Roach to bowl with Fidel Edwards, Ravi Rampaul, Sammy and Devendra Bishoo. In this series, every time the West Indies had the Indian batting on the mat, the batsmen found a passage of uninspiring bowling to capitalise on - Harbhajan and Raina did it in the first Test, Laxman and Raina in the second. A fifth bowler might have helped, I thought; a fresh pair of legs, some variety. Moreover, the extra batsman hasn't done much at all. On Friday, with Rampaul missing - an unfortunate, unforeseeable problem - the Windies still had India in trouble, at 18 for 2 and at 172 for 5, and both times, the bowlers who were doing the damage were too tired to continue. A fifth bowler might really have helped. But with Sammy in the fold, a fifth bowler means a batsman less. It means that Carlton Baugh bats at six, and Sammy at seven - not confidence-inspiring at all. Which brings us to that easy argument again - that Sammy is the fielder, not good enough as a bowler or batsman. Let's look at the tougher argument for a moment. That the West Indies have been struggling to compete in Test matches is trite, it is obvious for all to see. They won a Test after two years against Pakistan earlier this year. They ignominiously lost to Bangladesh at home some time ago when their top players walked out on the series. The Board and the Players’ Association are locked in a battle that resembles a socialist trade union struggle for better pay and better working conditions. There are player strikes, suspensions, mysterious selection decisions, rabid interviews, talks of corruption, mishandling, unnecessary interference. For ten years now, since Walsh retired, the West Indies have been a collection of talent fissured and fractured by politics. Sammy's appointment as captain - he's known as a Board man, rather than the Player Association man his predecessor Gayle was - happened in this context. He was never a regular in the Test side, and in the shorter versions, his report card read, "Can do better". His appointment came as a bolt in the blue. And it was well understood that he is role as a captain is similar to his role as a bowler - hold until the next guy is fit and ready. Sammy has done a lot more. Before Sammy, there were flashes of team-play, in that unexpected Champions Trophy win, for instance. Fans of the team, like myself, have consoled ourselves in individual brilliance - Lara's exploits against Murali, Chanderpaul's invincible runs of attrition, Chris Gayle's random, merciless attacks, and Jerome Taylor's freak spell. For the first time in ten years, under Sammy, the West Indies are playing like a team, pooling in collective resources to punch above their weight - in a manner that reminds one of the way New Zealand play their cricket. In this home season, they drew with Pakistan, and have troubled India more than India would've imagined possible. On Friday, with Rampaul out of the eleven, it would have been easy for the West Indies to bend over and submit. But two bowlers and Sammy - who, by the way, always bowls better than he looks like he's bowling - all carrying niggles, made India fight for their runs. Except in that last hour, when the bowlers were too tired to make an impact, they traded on equal terms with the Indian batting line-up. Sammy has brought this will to toil to the team, he has brought heart and commitment. When he's badgered in the press conferences, his responses are never tired, they are honest. When he is asked about his own merit, he responds with belief. When asked about selection, Gayle's for instance, he responds with a shrug, it's not his job to comment. And that is exactly how he plays his cricket, and how he captains the side - with enthusiasm and devotion that belies his natural talents. Maintaining his morale, his conviction amid this pressure from the media and the players is admirable enough; that he infects his team-mates with this courage is the sign of a truly great leader. This generation of West Indian cricketers are still only discovering how to win, and Sammy is pushing them to discover it together, as a team. Sammy is still doing a holding job, he knows that. When Bravo, Bishoo or Barath are ready, he will, most probably, make way. But he is doing a lot more than he was expected to do - it is just a question of time, and a little luck, before results follow.
deepak_sach Posted July 13, 2011 Posted July 13, 2011 Crap Bowler,Crap Batsman,Worst Captain to lead West Indies. But would still make it as the best talent Pakistan has ever produced into the Pakistani Team.
therocky Posted July 13, 2011 Posted July 13, 2011 "Best player needn't be captain" Perfect example is our captain Dhoni, among the worst players in the team. I think even Bhajji is a better batsman than him
panesarv Posted July 13, 2011 Posted July 13, 2011 "Best player needn't be captain" Perfect example is our captain Dhoni' date= among the worst players in the team. I think even Bhajji is a better batsman than him +1
Serani Posted July 13, 2011 Posted July 13, 2011 Crap Bowler,Crap Batsman,Worst Captain to lead West Indies. But would still make it as the best talent Pakistan has ever produced into the Pakistani Team. Yet another amazingly insightful post, how do you do it?
therocky Posted July 13, 2011 Posted July 13, 2011 Yet another amazingly insightful post' date=' how do you do it?[/quote'] Pommy Paki bhai bhai :giggle:
urbestfriend Posted July 13, 2011 Posted July 13, 2011 "Best player needn't be captain" Perfect example is our captain Dhoni' date=' [b']among the worst players in the team. I think even Bhajji is a better batsman than him Arre DK Bose, he has won us the world cup just 2 months back.
ganeshran Posted July 13, 2011 Posted July 13, 2011 "Best player needn't be captain" Perfect example is our captain Dhoni' date=' [b']among the worst players in the team. I think even Bhajji is a better batsman than him :blink: :facepalm:
therocky Posted July 13, 2011 Posted July 13, 2011 Arre DK Bose' date=' he has won us the world cup just 2 months back.[/quote'] He didn't win us the world cup, Who was the leading wicket taker? Zaheer, leading run scorer? Sachin/Viru. Yea dhoni did well in the final but Gauti scored more runs than him and we would have won without Dhoni
therocky Posted July 13, 2011 Posted July 13, 2011 :blink: :facepalm: I am talking about test match genius
ganeshran Posted July 13, 2011 Posted July 13, 2011 I am talking about test match genius he still is a very good keeper and a useful lower order batsman.
deepak_sach Posted July 14, 2011 Posted July 14, 2011 Yet another amazingly insightful post' date=' how do you do it?[/quote'] Why are you always angry when i talk about Pakistan? tells about the journey from Pommie to Paki:haha::haha::haha:
don_corleone840 Posted July 14, 2011 Posted July 14, 2011 He didn't win us the world cup' date=' Who was the leading wicket taker? Zaheer, leading run scorer? Sachin/Viru. Yea dhoni did well in the final but Gauti scored more runs than him and we would have won without Dhoni[/quote'] :finger::finger::finger: bhag bhag dk bode dk bose dk bose
Rahul Dravid Posted July 14, 2011 Posted July 14, 2011 "Best player needn't be captain" Perfect example is our captain Dhoni' date=' among the worst players in the team. I think even Bhajji is a better batsman than him[/quote'] LOL true.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now