WI coach Daren Sammy opens up after heart-breaking loss to Zimbabwe

Daren Sammy, the former West Indies skipper and current head coach, expressed disappointment with his team’s performance in the ongoing ODI World Cup Qualifiers, particularly their match against Zimbabwe.

Addressing the team’s performance, Sammy conveyed his disappointment, emphasizing that if they continue to give chances to the opposition batsmen, they will eventually dominate. He stated that his players did not take enough responsibility, resulting in a deserving loss.

During the post-match press conference, Daren Sammy said that, “I am extremely disappointed. At the toss, we got to do what we wanted to do, which is to bowl first. Look, if we continue to display this type of fielding – we’ve spoken about it for the last few games – and if you keep giving the opposition’s best batters chances, eventually the cricket gods will catch up with you.”

He acknowledged that their target of 269 on the given surface was achievable, but their fielding and lack of responsibility let them down. Sammy stressed the need for change and a forward-moving direction for the team, highlighting the importance of taking responsibility.

While the defeat against Zimbabwe complicated their qualification scenario, Sammy remained optimistic and encouraged his players to bounce back. He admitted that it would be more challenging now, but not impossible, as they would need to improve their cricket in the remaining games to secure a spot in the Super Six.

“I wouldn’t say it hampers (our qualification) but it makes it more difficult. You’d love to go into the Super Six with four points. We knew from the time we left home that this game would’ve been very important to us,” Sammy remarked.

He emphasized the need to play better cricket, emphasizing that they had work to do to reach the Super Six and face other challenging teams. Despite the setback, Sammy urged his team to regroup, learn from their mistakes, and strive for improvement in the upcoming matches.