‘You have to stop us from hitting boundaries’: Darren Sammy

Published April 2, 2016
Chris Gayle talks to captain Darren Sammy during a practice session a day ahead of their World T20 final against England. — AP
Chris Gayle talks to captain Darren Sammy during a practice session a day ahead of their World T20 final against England. — AP

KOLKATA: The sight of a West Indian batsman stealing a cheeky single is a rarity in international cricket but skipper Darren Sammy does not mind as long as the fours and the sixes keep flowing from their bats.

The Caribbean side flexed their batting muscle to storm into the World Twenty20 final against England who they beat in a group stage match in Mumbai.

Sammy is aware of the criticism of his team's poor strike rotation but believes the power-hitters can more than make up with big shots.

“People say we don't rotate our strike well, we'll talk about that but first thing is you have to stop us from hitting boundaries that has been difficult for oppositions once we get in that swing,” the ever-smiling all-rounder told reporters on Saturday.

The semi-final against India illustrated Sammy's point.

Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni ran themselves ragged in the game, stealing singles and converting ones into twos to help India post a strong 192-2.

As has often been the case, the West Indian batsmen dealt mostly in boundaries to chase down the target in the final over, smashing 20 fours and 11 sixes, compared to India's 17 and four respectively.

“I think since the inception of Twenty20, you've seen West Indies is a boundary-hitting team so that's no surprise for me,” said Sammy, who is seeking to become the first captain to lead a team to a second World Twenty20 title.

“We know the power we have in the dressing-room. So it was exciting to watch...(Lendl) Simmons, (Andre) Russell and (Johnson) Charles displayed that type of boundary-hitting against India.”

England have looked a vastly-improved side since that loss to West Indies but Sammy thinks his team will be unbeatable if they can play in the same manner.

“One of the senior players — I think it was Dwayne Bravo — made a comment in one of our tame meetings: 'the only thing that could beat is ourselves' and we believe that,” he said.

“Once we do what we could do well, nobody can defeat us and that is the mentality we take forward against England.”

Opinion

Editorial

Business concerns
Updated 26 Apr, 2024

Business concerns

There is no doubt that these issues are impeding a positive business clime, which is required to boost private investment and economic growth.
Musical chairs
26 Apr, 2024

Musical chairs

THE petitioners are quite helpless. Yet again, they are being expected to wait while the bench supposed to hear...
Global arms race
26 Apr, 2024

Global arms race

THE figure is staggering. According to the annual report of Sweden-based think tank Stockholm International Peace...
Digital growth
Updated 25 Apr, 2024

Digital growth

Democratising digital development will catalyse a rapid, if not immediate, improvement in human development indicators for the underserved segments of the Pakistani citizenry.
Nikah rights
25 Apr, 2024

Nikah rights

THE Supreme Court recently delivered a judgement championing the rights of women within a marriage. The ruling...
Campus crackdowns
25 Apr, 2024

Campus crackdowns

WHILE most Western governments have either been gladly facilitating Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, or meekly...