Mumbai, Feb 10 (PTI) Daren Sammy on Tuesday said challenges for West Indies cricketers remain where they were in 2016 but fondly recalled the year when three different Caribbean teams won ICC tournaments.
The West Indies recorded their last title win in an ICC tournament a decade ago when their men’s and women’s team won the ‘World T20’ titles in Kolkata on April 3, while the U-19 team had earlier beaten India in the World Cup final.
“… 2016 was a special year. Not only for us as an international team, but (also) the ladies, the U-19s as well. The circumstances are probably still the same,” Sammy told reporters here on eve of West Indies’ T20 World Cup match against England.
“I remember coming into 2016, some of the names that my cricketers were called… some of the battles we had to fight. To this day, 10 years later, we’re still fighting it.” “But we won’t let that affect what we bring on the field. We try to control the things that are within our power and some of these things are being dedicated, being resilient, being clear on our execution, which is the on-field play,” he said.
When asked if he could elaborate on the issues that West Indies face, who suffered a 1-2 series loss to Nepal last September, Sammy said, “… Issues that are within our control. Over the last two years, the World Cup in the Caribbean, the challenges that we’re facing, putting our team together, availability and stuff like that.
“But the team right now is in a very good space mentally (and) the way the guys have been preparing, it’s been really good. I see a focused team, just like 2016 when we landed in Calcutta for the practice games and I said I’ve never seen a more focused West Indies team.
The winners of the 2012 and 2016 editions, West Indies beat Scotland in Kolkata in their tournament-opener.
Sammy said, “I did tell them over in Calcutta when we landed, ‘it’s your turn to create your own little piece of history’.” “‘I had my time, Chris Gayle, (Dwayne) Bravo, (Kieron) Pollard, these guys had their time. You could start something fresh to inspire the next generation. Why not in India, a place that the last time the tournament was there, we won’… so hopefully that sinks in.” “But we all know talk is just talk without proper action,” he added.
Sammy admitted that other teams like England, whom they face here on Wednesday, have caught up with the Caribbean players when it comes to power-hitting, which was the bedrock of their success in 2016.
“Yes, (in) 2016, we were known for our six-hitting, but the world has caught up to that. Everybody now, hits sixes and they run really well between the wickets. They score off more balls.
“We have a lot to do, but again, we just probably might have to hit more sixes then, something we were able to do when we dominated during that era, and tomorrow (Thursday), we will be smart.” Sammy said while Wankhede Stadium has been “kind to” the West Indies, they need to assess the wicket and play accordingly.
“I’m not trying to score 300. I’m trying to play the conditions. It’s (the talk of big scores is) all well and good before the tournament. You have an idea of what you want to do, but at the end of the day when you go on and play, what the surface dictates, you try to get an extra 20 runs if you can,” he added. PTI DDV BS BS
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