SAMMY… I’ve by no means mentioned I’ll make the Take a look at staff a white-ball staff
Regardless of plans to introduce extra white-ball gamers within the West Indies Take a look at staff, all-format Head Coach Daren Sammy says he has no intentions to ignore the gamers who’ve beforehand been a part of the red-ball setup.
St Lucian Sammy takes cost of the lads’s Take a look at staff on April 1, changing Jamaican Andre Coley whose stint resulted in January. However historic Take a look at match wins towards Australia and Pakistan which resulted in drawn collection, the Caribbean aspect struggled throughout Coley’s 20-month tenure. They did not win any of their seven collection, struggling losses to England, India and twice to South Africa and drawing at residence with Bangladesh.
In December, Cricket West Indies appointed Sammy as head coach throughout all codecs, following his “distinctive management throughout his tenure with the white-ball groups”, which started in Might 2023.
With the Twenty20 (T20) staff shifting as much as fourth on the planet and the One-Day Worldwide (ODI) staff successful 4 of eight collection beneath Sammy, it’s been recommended that white-ball gamers might function prominently within the staff going ahead.
Nonetheless, Sammy is adamant that there gained’t be wholesale adjustments to the Take a look at staff.
“Don’t get me unsuitable, I hear the individuals with chatter [about] white-ball gamers. I’ve by no means mentioned I’m going to make the Take a look at staff a white-ball staff, I’ve by no means mentioned that. Let’s get that clear,” he mentioned.
“Nonetheless, I do consider there are gamers who play ODI cricket which can be very a lot succesful, based mostly on their talent set, they bring about to achieve success in Take a look at cricket particularly while you take a look at what’s accessible and the outcomes.”
The previous West Indies captain says lots of the present Take a look at gamers will stay as they match his model of cricket.
“Andre Coley has managed to get some wonderful victories in locations we weren’t capable of win after which the information we’ve collected and the roles now we have put in place and the personnel that’s nonetheless there in Take a look at cricket which can be doing issues that we consider might complement and add worth to the model we wish to play, they’re all accessible for choice,” Sammy mentioned.
Whereas Sammy intends to include ODI and T20 gamers into the Take a look at staff, he says it gained’t be a free for all.
“I do know all of the gamers who’ve indicated their curiosity and all who’ve no real interest in enjoying Take a look at cricket. It’s not all people who needs to play Take a look at cricket will play Take a look at cricket. There’s a course of and a talent set that’s required to fulfil that function and now we have to be truthful to all these younger guys enjoying within the regional four-day match and placing their hand up for choice,” mentioned Sammy.
“When that point comes and with all of the conversations I’ve had, once we now sit down as a variety group and based mostly on the roles which can be required, we’ll now choose the personnel that can match these roles. That’s how we’re going to go about it, whether or not that’s guys who haven’t performed Take a look at cricket earlier than, guys who’ve been enjoying the Take a look at staff, guys who’ve carried out within the regional match, it will likely be one of the best individuals suited to that function that we would like, that will likely be chosen,” he added.
Sammy’s first Take a look at collection in cost will likely be in July when the West Indies host Australia in a 3 match collection with the third take a look at set for Sabina Park scheduled for July 12 to 16.
