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March 22, 2019

CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC) — Former West Indies captain Darren Sammy says the Dave Cameron administration could not take credit for the region’s three World Cup titles in 2016, nor the recapture of the Wisden Trophy last month, as those successes were solely down to the hard work of the captains and management staff involved.

In a strongly-worded video on his Facebook page Wednesday, Sammy said Cameron had performed poorly throughout his three terms in charge, but had erroneously sought to portray his administration as the architect of all West Indies major accomplishments during his tenure.

West Indies captured the men’s and women’s titles at the Twenty World Cup in India, while the Under-19 side won the ICC Youth World Cup in Bangladesh in the same year.

“The fact remains over the last six years as an administration, we’ve done poorly. That’s a fact,” said Sammy, who led the Windies to T20 World Cup titles in 2012 and 2016.

“You try to take credit for the three World Cup wins in 2016 which is wrong. We won despite. In spite of all the difficulties we faced from your administration, the team won.”

West Indies players and the board were at loggerheads over pay issues in the lead-up to the World Cup in India.

Cameron’s allies have also pointed to the recent 2-1 series over England as further evidence of the West Indies progress under the current CWI administration.

The Caribbean side produced a sterling performance to trounce the visitors in the first two Tests in Barbados and Antigua, to regain the Wisden Trophy for the first time in a decade.

However, Sammy said the series win was down to the exemplary leadership of all-rounder Jason Holder and the preparatory work by former coaches.

“I also heard recently that the team is moving in the right direction … I believe the team won that series against England because of the hard work of Jason Holder as captain and the work done by Stuart Law, Corey Collymore, Floyd Reifer building up to that series,” Sammy argued.

“In 2010 when I became captain, it took me two years to understand all my players I was working with, and if you put a group of men together over a period of time and they play consistently together, success is bound to happen around the corner.

“I think over the last two years, Jason Holder, working with the group of men he has had, has improved especially in the Test arena, has improved tremendously as a captain, a tactician and a performer. The way Jason has led the team, he deserves all the credit and not the administration.

“He’s grown into his role as a leader. Leaders empower those around him and you can see what he’s doing with the team. That’s leadership, not what’s happening at the top with the administration of CWI, there’s no empowerment there. There’s just one man with his own agenda looking to dictate where the tide goes. We have to put an end to that,” said Sammy.

The St Lucian is the the latest former player to come out against Cameron and vice-president Emmanuel Nanthan, in their bid for a fourth successive term at CWI elections in Jamaica on Sunday.

Over the last week, legends Clive Lloyd, Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Andy Roberts have all thrown their support behind presidential challenger Ricky Skerritt and running mate Dr Kishore Shallow.

Sammy, axed as captain and dropped from the T20 squad just months after presiding over the 2016 World Cup win in a move widely believed to have stemmed from his controversial criticisms of Cameron, said the time had come for West Indies cricket to change course.

“I have worked under the leadership of both Dave Cameron and Emmanuel and I can honestly say for sure these two do not have the cricket at heart,” Sammy said.

“And for this reason, I am asking the CWI voters to do the right thing this coming Sunday in Jamaica and vote for change. Twelve years in leadership is enough to see what Cameron can do, or has not done. And that is why I am supporting Ricky Skerritt and Kishore Shallow as they look to make the change, the well-deserved change in West Indies cricket and its administration.

“Do the right thing. It’s time for change. Cameron, your time is up. Vote Skerritt and Shallow. Do the right thing,” Sammy urged.