This September marks 20 years since West Indies secured the most unlikely of all their five ICC global titles, when they won the 2004 Champions Trophy.

Twenty years ago is also when St Lucia's first cricketer to make the West Indies side, Daren Sammy, made his international debut in a rained-out fixture in an insignificant Natwest Tri-nation series. He led West Indies to two T20 World Cup titles as captain, and now has another opportunity to make the West Indies side a force to be reckoned with again as limited-overs head coach. Sammy spoke in this interview about his agenda for the team, his coaching style, and the West Indies T20I side's evolution from big-hitters to a more tactically well-rounded team.

You never played for West Indies again after winning the T20 World Cup in 2016 as captain. In your post-match speech you called out the WICB president at the time, Dave Cameron. How proud are you of that moment looking back almost nine years later?
I wouldn't say it's a proud moment, but I've always been a proud guy. I was just standing up for my men and sharing with the world after Nasser [Hussain] asked me what transpired. You know, it's not a moment I'll ever take back. I think it was critical in West Indies history as well, to force change in how the board operated with players, change how players operated with the board, because the establishment needed to be warned. And I think, looking back, to see the position that I'm in now, the way we communicate with our players, how my relationship with my players, the relationship with the board has been, I would say we've taken massive strides. That moment back then started a spark that really helped us implement change in both the organisation and on the field as well.

During your stint as West Indies T20 captain, the Test and ODI sides were struggling but you won a fair few T20 series between 2012 and 2016. Outside of the World Cups, what were some of the key elements that made your team so successful?
I think we had a good team. If you check the experience that was there in that team during that period, we had a brotherhood. We had a bond. We understood the game very well. And my job as captain was made simple. When you have the number of match-winners we had, from Chris Gayle all the way down to probably Samuel Badree batting at 11, we had players in every single role that was required to win T20 games. So credit must go to the men in the way they played, and it was a joy to have to have led them during that period.

People have called the West Indies that won those World Cups in the early days of T20 cricket the six-hitting team. Do you think there was more to that? Or do you think that is a fair description of what won the team the 2012 and 2016 titles?
Well, if you look at it, a lot of teams wanted six-hitters. There are a lot of teams with six-hitters. You watch Australia, England, every team has six hitters. What they've been able to do is be better than us in rotating the strike and getting the singles.

Play 02:04

"We want to become a championship-winning team"

However, the game has evolved. You know, most people took our formula and updated the app. But if you notice, in the last 14 months, the way the West Indies have played T20s, we have added another dimension to our game to match the six-hitting, and we've improved. Forget the pitches in the [2024] World Cup, but leading up to that, from the January 2023 series win against South Africa to now, we have been a top-four team in the world in that format.

This shows the versatility that we've had and the growth that we continue to have in evolving the game. Matching and complementing our six-hitting with rotation of strike, it has allowed our team to improve. Even though we know we don't have in the bowling department - bowlers that were instant game changers with the ball, like Sunil Narine and [Samuel] Badree when I was captain. But because of the way the modern team has batted so well, it has given our bowling group some cushion and it is something that we continue to work on.

You played much of your career with people saying you weren't good enough, as a bowler, as a batter, as an allrounder. What, if anything, would you like to say to that criticism now?
You've known me most of my life, man. I don't really take on no critics. I've always been a guy who understands what the mission is, whether I was captain or a player. Understanding my role, and what was required, I go out there every day trying to do it to the best of my ability, and that's what I did throughout my career.

I always brought that never-say-die attitude on and off the field, and it's the reason why I am in the position that I am today - because of the way I played the game. My mentality, my mindset - my mind has always been my strongest asset. I've been criticised from day one, but yet I lasted 14 years in international cricket.

I've never really played for the critics. As a kid growing up, I dreamt of representing the West Indies, and I was able to do that, and went on to captain and help bring success to the region. Critics will always be there. My thing is, once I give an honest day's work - it might not have appealed to other people - I knew I was giving it my all, every time I went and stepped on the field, and that's what was important to me.

What do you remember as the greatest moments of your international career, not just in T20 cricket?
I think my Test debut really announced me on the international scene. Getting 7 for 66 with the ball - when I did it, it was the best figures by a West Indian on debut since Alf Valentine in 1950. Obviously, people talk about the two World Cups and stuff, but before Chris Gayle passed my record I had the fastest fifty by a West Indian in ODIs. But yeah, I've had some memorable games, my Test hundred vs England at Trent Bridge also.

Sammy took a seven-for in his first Test, against England in Manchester in 2007, though West Indies went on to lose the match © Getty Images

But when you look at it in the grand scheme of things, the 2012 final was one of my favourite games. Yes Marlon [Samuels] did what he had to do, you know. But at the back end I scored 29 off 16 balls, and then with the ball I got two crucial wickets in the middle to help my team. That actually changed the way my team-mates looked at me after that victory. I earned the respect of my men, moving forward, and what we went on to do the next four years. So definitely my Test debut and the 2012 World Cup final. Those are definitely the top two.

I'm glad you mentioned 2012. For you as captain, looking back, do you ever feel that if it wasn't for the rain during the 2014 semi final, West Indies would have been T20 champions thrice?
Listen, listen, I kept telling people that for years, man. We were on a roll the way we were playing and picking up momentum. [Lasith] Malinga, I think, had one over left out of that five or six remaining. The way I was batting, the way [Dwayne] Bravo was batting, Marlon was batting there, there was Andre Russell still to come, so I felt like we could have done three in a row. However, I remember when the rain fell, there was something beyond our control. And I said maybe it was God's way of blessing Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, because they were retiring after that, and they [Sri Lanka] went on to win it. So everything in life happens for a reason, and I have a dream that I'll be part of another World Cup title in the near future.

Before you were West Indies coach you had a short stint as an independent director with CWI. What did that role reveal to you regarding the inner workings of the board that you weren't aware of before?
I've always been a massive advocate of West Indies cricket and twice I've been called upon to play a part. And if I'm so vocal, if I'm being called upon for my services, I have to be able to give back.

The independent director role, it actually opened my eyes as to how Cricket West Indies works as an organisation. I now understand the level of interest that is really put into cricket versus the other aspects of the board, whether it be marketing, finance, development. [Some] things I was quite verbal and vocal about - preparation for the teams when they go out to play, and just some more care and attention for the actual cricket, which is the product that makes everybody inside there have a job.

So I gained a lot of experience from there. I must say I never had any intentions of coaching. That [director job] was not something to prepare me for this [coaching]. It was just an opportunity for me to give back [with] my cricket brain and how I think we could improve as a board in relation to players and what the cricket needed. And that was a good experience for me, being an independent director on the board.

Sammy took over as Peshawar Zalmi coach in the PSL in 2020-21 and again in 2023 © Getty Images

You actually answered my next question. So you didn't think during your playing days you were going to get into coaching?
I never wanted to coach. After I'm done playing, I had a deal with my wife - I'm going to work now and then when I retire, it's your turn to work. So yeah, I never saw myself going into coaching. However, I've [told the] story before that Mohammad Akram [director of cricket at Peshawar Zalmi] was the first person who thought that coaching would be my calling.

He did tell me, from Peshawar Zalmi, that he would stop being the head coach when he feels like I'm ready to take on the coaching role, and he did follow through on his word. Also, I remember when I started doing commentary, the former CEO of CWI, Dr Ernest Hilaire, he did say to me, with my leadership skills, he could see how coaching will be in my future.

But when you're playing in your early 30s, late 20s, you think, no, you don't want to do any coaching. But as I've experienced in life, the man above always has a greater plan for you that you don't see. And I find myself in a position now that the role has really grown on me, and I've really become passionate about it, and actually love, love my job.

Now that you are the West Indies coach, how did the PSL and CPL coaching experience prepare you for this job?
Like I said, the man above has a way of preparing you, because if you pray for patience, he doesn't just give you a dose of patience. He puts you in a position where you have to exercise patience. So I think all the stuff I went through as a captain, as a leader, then venturing into coaching with the PSL and the CPL, with St Lucia Kings and Peshawar Zalmi, was actually, in hindsight, preparing me for something that is bigger, which was the West Indies job that I'm in now. So the experience that I gained leading to when I applied for the job, that was enough, I guess, in hindsight, to prepare me for where I'm at now.

When you became coach in 2023 you said that you wanted to have conversations with players - Andre Russell, Shimron Hetmyer and Sunil Narine - about playing for West Indies, even though there was elements among the Caribbean cricket public that were against this idea. All have since played for or been in the West Indies camp, except Narine. Why did you feel doing this was important a year ago?
We are in a region unlike India [where there are] probably a million cricketers playing. When I walked into the dressing room in 2004, I saw Mervyn Dillon, Chris Gayle, Brian Lara, Wavell Hinds, Pedro Collins, Cory Collymore and more.

"Players like Nicholas Pooran never got the experience of playing consistently with a Pollard, Bravo or Gayle. And I thought we lost a great opportunity to smooth out the transition" Michael Steele / © ICC/Getty Images

Then a young Sammy, a young Bravo, a young Ravi Rampaul, and soon after, young Carlton Baugh, Denesh Ramdin etc came in. You need some sort of experience to guide the youngsters around, and that was actually our downfall, from a championship team in 2016 to what transpired over the next two World Cups.

As great as Nicholas Pooran is, Hetty [Shimron Hetmyer] and all these guys, they never got the experience of playing consistently with a [Kieron] Pollard, Bravo, myself or Gayle. And I thought we lost a great opportunity to smooth out the transition from all the guys who were on the cusp of moving out. We didn't have a water fountain that keeps on flowing.

So when I became a coach, I started from a level playing field. I was not bringing any baggage, and I called and had one-on-one conversations with every single person to see where their mind is at, what they're looking to do with their careers internationally, and see how best they could impact and help take our cricket forward.

So yes, you can't call it the best West Indies team around the region if you're looking for the best set of players in Narine, Evin Lewis, Russell, Hetmyer and [Sherfane] Rutherford.

When I looked at what we had, as a coach, I had to throw in that olive branch and see. I was not guaranteeing anybody's selection, but there's no success without sacrifice. Clear communication was something I was very big on, because during my days, I thought there was not clear enough communication. Without communication, there's no respect, no understanding - that was key for me. So in doing so, if you notice, 14 months later on the job, you've seen what we've been able to do, especially as a T20 unit, moving from No. 7 or 8 to No. 3, just three points [away from] being No. 2 in the world.

That is because of the calibre of players that we have and who we have introduced and reintroduced to the system, which has made the job much easier, and it's still a lot of room for improvement, especially in the ODI format and the Test format, but I think we've set up a nice new platform and pool of players that will help us to be to be successful.

How would you describe the coaching balance and relationship with Test coach Andre Coley?
I think it's been a good balance. Coach Coley showed in that series in Australia that with the right preparation we have the skill set to win Test matches. Coley is also a different coach to me, but I think we both want the same results, which is to help move West Indies cricket forward and create a brand that allows us to be successful.

Andre Coley was appointed West Indies red-ball coach last year, at the same time that Sammy took over as white-ball coach Randy Brookes / © AFP/Getty Images

We communicate constantly. The Test arena has had its ups and downs, just like I've had my ups and downs. But I think we both are equally passionate about the role and we are doing all we can, you know, to help take it forward. And it's not an easy job we have. We consistently try to evolve and select the right players who will help us be successful, putting the right programmes in place that will help us be successful. And I wish him and myself all the best.

One challenge the two of you had recently was the T20 team picking Shamar Joseph for the World Cup, which clashed with his preparation for the England Test tour. There was talk that Shamar should have played more red-ball cricket before going to England, though you publicly said the T20 team wanted Shamar as a strike-bowler option for the World Cup. How tricky is that balance with using players like Shamar, Alzarri Joseph, and potentially a few others, across formats?
It's communication, you know. I mean, at the end of the day it is West Indies cricket that comes first. I always tell my wife, when you're feeling overwhelmed, trust the process. So if you know the process, look at what's most important - in a World Cup year, in the Caribbean, that takes precedence over everything.

And I thought somebody like Shamar could come and have that type of impact for us. I would have wanted him to play more T20s before the World Cup, so I would have a wider database to select him from. But he's an amazing talent, so at that time we thought the World Cup was always going to be like this because of the scheduling.

We had that same scenario where we went for the World Cup qualifiers, where guys had to leave early to come and play a Test series against India. So it will always be that way with the schedule at the end of the day, [but] we will always try to make decisions that will be in the best interest of West Indies cricket. But me and Coley, we speak about how we utilise the all-format players, how to help transition them, who needs rest here etc.

Also, I must state clearly, I'm not in a position to give any player rest. I have to speak to the medical panel.

Since I became a coach I have been adamant: all my training sessions and anything that involves physical activity, I have to go through [physiotherapist] Denis Byam and [strength and conditioning coach] Ronald Rogers. They are in charge of the medical team when it comes to player fitness. So my team has been something where everybody understands the role, and everyone is equally important in their different roles - from players all the way down to staff.

So we might have one scheduled training session, but Denis and Roland might say due to playing in extremely hot conditions the guys need more time to recover before training, because certain physical activity after such a game is going to be more harmful to them.

That's how I operate, and that is empowering your staff as well, making them feel important. These are some of the changes that I brought along for myself as a coach.

Sammy oversees a training session. "I have been adamant that anything that involves physical activity has to go through the physiotherapist and strength and conditioning coach," he says © Getty Images

Do you have sympathy for the players in the situation so many find themselves in now - wanting to play T20 leagues, but also wanting to play international cricket, and the calendar can't allow both, so they have to choose?
It has been a challenge and the way I've managed it is clear communication - planning ahead, speaking to these guys and the agents - because we can't restrict people's trade - and I think I've been able to manage it quite well so far.

It's easier for us with our contracted players, who are committing to be available for West Indies for the next year, and it's easier to manage that. But for the guys who are not contracted and have all these leagues being played all the time, it is for us now to have the communication and understanding of what's happening and then plan accordingly. I don't know what time this interview will come out, but if you look at the Sri Lanka series coming up, some guys who you know might not be in there because they are resting and want time for recovery.

Some [have] requested time off now and then, but these are conversations we've had long before. Okay, CPL is playing for six weeks, then two days after the CPL final we head into Sri Lanka. It's a basic conversation on where players' minds and thoughts are, going down there to play three T20s. So then I'm already planning ahead, but that comes from the open and honest conversations that we have and the relationships that we build in between that will help us have these conversations.

How much is T20 coaching about working hands-on with players on how they play, and how much is it about making them feel empowered and creating an environment in which they are comfortable to perform?
I think it's a little bit of everything, but I think franchise cricket has really fast-tracked players into superstars, so it becomes a lot of man management. I always love having camps before series where we put in the work, and then you manage the different aspects and fine-tuning a game here and there, so by the time guys get to the actual competition, we just maintain. I think that's what's key in today's generation of players who are regulars on the franchise circuit

Back in the second half of the 2010s, West Indies' T20 cricket was seen as being based on power-hitting. How has that changed since then and what would you say is their brand of cricket now?
I think we've made some strides. If you look at the way we moved between 2023 to now, the way the pitches in the World Cup [played] - some of them were tough - but if you take the pre-World-Cup 14-month period, we did a lot of things right, in my view.

The improvement in our run rate against spin from five-point something to six and a half to eight runs an over between the seventh to 15th overs, that was the area that was killing us. We became the top four during that period, and then we were the best team in the last five overs in the last year.

Sammy says West Indies are more led by data these days than before. "Had I and the West Indies team paid more attention to the data, we would have been so much better; I would have been a much better captain" © ICC via Getty Images

We have done that with the roles given to players. Adding Shai Hope, who is a good player of offspin. We've given Roston Chase a role in the middle, trying to keep the left-and-right-hand batting combinations to counteract legspin. Then, of course, Pooran's role at No. 3, with the targeted aim to go and cash in during the powerplay. So we've made some tactical decisions that have allowed us to be successful.

Rovman Powell has been great as a leader, marshalling the men out there, but our batting group has really changed. They have turned it around and given our bowlers a cushion, by scoring more 200-plus scores than before.

In 2020, West Indies hired analyst AR Srikkanth from KKR, who is known for his work on the global T20 circuit. You were captain when West Indies had their long-time analyst Richard Berridge, and you have built a strong relationship with current analyst Avenash Seetaram for both West Indies and St Lucia Kings. How important in the modern T20 game is a special analyst to the team?
Avenash is top quality. I'm not going anywhere and [to] no team without having him. He's been the backbone of our planning. I've made these comments before - back then we relied mainly on our natural talent and the knowledge you have as a captain. I promise you that had I and the West Indies team paid more attention to the data, we would have been so much better; I would have been a much better captain. Now we sit down and we plan and we look at the footage, and Avenash does his research, and we come up with plans.

The analyst now has become one of the most important people on staff when it comes to planning, strategising, and the tactical aspects of the game. So now I don't only rely on my own knowledge of the game, I have the data to back up the thought process that I have, and how we present it to the guys.

If you had to sum up your coaching philosophy how would you describe it?
It's similar to how I captain: inspirational. However, I'm not one to really talk about myself in that sort of way. I was in Guyana recently during the T20 World Cup, and the media asked me about myself at a press conference and Romario Shepherd said, "You know what, coach, I will answer that for you."

What I could tell you: I am open, honest and upfront. I try to live by my words, but I operate from a place of clarity. So that's what I've brought into my coaching, a level of clarity that people understand. They might not agree or might not be happy about it, but they know if Daren says this, the position is clear, and that stems from honest conversations

Obviously I think I have great man-management skills, and I try to motivate and inspire. However, the coaching is not solely about me - it's my team. I have surrounded myself with hardworking, passionate men who want the same thing. If you see a West Indies team at training or at a game, if you didn't know Sammy was the head coach, you would not say there is a head coach, because we all working as a brotherhood, from myself, Floyd Reifer, Griff [Rayon Griffith], James Franklin, Rawl Lewis, Avenash.

They understand the mission and the process is quite clear, and that's what I bring to my coaching.

"I can safely say I'm a captain's coach. I would not go into a series or select a team without the thoughts, advice or conversation with my two captains and my analyst" © Getty Images

CWI recently announced that Desmond Haynes will no longer be a selector and that Coley and you will have selectors' powers. Having played for West Indies where a selector was always present, what was your conversation with CWI on how this can work effectively?
Yes, they've given that, so you get one voice. In the past players could say there's a miscommunication of two different things being said by different selectors. However, I've never been a one-man show. I would not select a team without Rovman Powell or Shai Hope involved.

Yes, the buck stops with me and Coley, but for me, I can safely say I'm a captain's coach. I've captained for so long and understood some of the things that I wanted to do. However, I think the relationships I've built with both my white-ball captains - we have that level of respect for each other that if one is quite strong on something, we understand. However, I would not go into a series or select a team without the thoughts, without the advice, without the conversation with my two captains and my analyst, which now becomes very important.

I operate from a place of honesty and I look at the data. So many things affect selection or impact selection. We have performance, availability, we have conditions, opposition. So we factor all these things in. However, what I could tell you now, when I call a player, it is one voice. I worked quite well with Desi [Desmond Haynes] when he was there, and I looked forward to having selection meetings where people brought their points across. So it's now on me to be fair and honest in the way we select West Indies teams, and I will always try to do that.

With no Champions Trophy for 50-overs cricket for West Indies in 2025, what is your overall vision for the ODI side ahead of the 2027 World Cup?
We've been planning for 2027 for a while to make sure we get up the rankings and qualify and be in a position to win the bilateral series and avoid the World Cup qualifiers for the third time. We have a Sri Lanka series coming and I'm really excited about the players that are going to be on display. We have some exciting young talent coming through as well. So hopefully we can put ourselves in a position to shift the rankings by winning games and series.

Andre Russell during the CPL recently announced he still wants to play international cricket until the 2026 T20 World Cup, even though leading up to the recent T20 World Cup he was on record saying he told you he would be done with international cricket after that tournament.
You know, Russell is one of the guys I have constant conversations with. We know he's no 26-year-old, but I still think he's one that has a lot to offer. With constant communication, we'll be able to make decisions as to where he plays, when he plays, and take it from there.

Colin Benjamin has covered West Indies cricket for over a decade for Caribbean and global publications

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

 

RELATED ARTICLES