After winning the cup, Sammy back to playing ‘board games’
NEW DELHI: Victory usually washes away bitterness, but in the case of West Indies, the players have been painted more as pirates of the Caribbean than world champions in Twenty20.
Minutes after their sensational victory in the final against England, skipper Darren Sammy expressed the pain of having to deal with an unhelpful Board. The players had been bitter after being forced to sign a contract to play in the tournament that fetched far less than what they felt the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) should be paying them.
The WICB directors had painted the players as only interested in money and it was clear there is little love lost between the two parties. After the women won the title on Sunday, skipper Stafanie Taylor and opener Hayley Matthews were mentioned in the WICB’s congratulatory statement. But the one issued after the men’s victory didn’t mention Sammy or Man-ofthe-Match Marlon Samuels.
WICB president Dave Cameron’s regret for Sammy’s comments in the post-match presentation, which he described as ‘inappropriate’, underlined the long-standing feud between the players and administrators which has hurt Caribbean cricket. Cameron instead praised the Indian cricket Board for organising the tournament.
Cameron said he would inquire into Sammy’s comments, but has offered to hold a meeting after the IPL ends in May to try and find a solution and ensure that the leading players, now focused on playing in T20 leagues around the world, will commit to represent West Indies.
“We want to see how we can find common ground in ensuring that the best players in the region are available for selection for West Indies teams. We’re aware of the financial rewards on offer in the lucrative international T20 leagues, but we believe in the importance of cricket to the people of the region and of West Indies cricket’s place in world cricket.”
The distance both parties will need to travel to find a solution was clear from the comments of all-rounder Dwayne Bravo.
“The country’s cricket is not in the right hands. We’ve not got a telephone call from any of the WICB officials or directors. That’s not a good thing,” he said in a TV interview on Sunday night.
“We know that they did not want or believe that we could win this tournament. It was basically us against them. Even the BCCI does more for us.”
Two years ago, the crisis triggered by a contract dispute saw the players leave for home midway through an India tour. The WICB has only managed to avoid a huge compensation payment by agreeing to tour India after hosting the team in the Caribbean this year.
In contrast to the WICB, the Caribbean Cricket League organisers were quick to praise the West Indies players.
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