West Indies board slams victorious captain Sammy’s ‘inappropriate’ remarks after last-ditch win over England
The bitter divisions in Caribbean cricket are laid bare as the West Indies board publicly reprimands Darren Sammy just hours after his team’s stunning victory in the World T20 final
The bitter divisions in Caribbean cricket were laid bare on Sunday as the West Indies board publicly reprimanded captain Darren Sammy just hours after his team’s stunning victory in the World T20 final over England.
I really want to thank [the prime minister]. He sent a very inspiring message for the team this morning and I’m yet to hear from our own cricket board. That’s very disappointing
It should have been a day of unalloyed joy for the West Indies, with the women’s team winning their Twenty20 final against Australia on the same Eden Gardens ground where the men later downed England by four wickets in a last-over thriller.
But in a post-match interview, Sammy gave vent to months – possibly years – of frustration with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).
In a reference to the lengthy and bitter pay dispute that had put their World Twenty20 participation in doubt, the all-rounder said his team felt “disrespected by our board”.
“We had a new manager in Rawle Lewis, who has never managed a team before. We had no uniforms, no printing,” said Sammy.
“The trouble he went through to just get us in this uniform. I got to give credit to the entire team here.”
Sammy also had another swipe at the board as he thanked Grenada Prime Minister Keith Mitchell for a good luck message received hours before the final.