Call it Sammy’s Law. If something can go wrong in West Indies cricket, it will.
Just when you thought things couldn’t go more wrong for embattled West Indies captain Darren Sammy, the St Lucian cricketer has been forced to publicly defend himself for not attending last week’s West Indies Players Association’s annual awards ceremony in Trinidad and Tobago.
Sammy came under public, and apparently internal pressure from cricketing circles by those who thought his attendance at the ceremony should be mandatory. In addition, a number of other players were not at the ceremony.
The awards were held last week Sunday, with the region’s most controversial figure, Chris Gayle, winning WIPA’s Player-Of-The-Year award.
But for once, it was Sammy who had to face the music, and not Gayle.
“I am concerned about certain falsehoods which are being disseminated in certain sections of Caribbean media. These falsehoods seem designed to continue to smear my character as an individual, a cricketer and West Indies captain,” Sammy said in a statement released through the West Indies Cricket Board.
“I wish to make it abundantly clear to the public that at no time did I discourage, dissuade or in any other way seek to influence any player’s non-attendance to the recently held WIPA awards function. Players made their own decisions not to attend,” the skipper added.
According to Sammy, his non attendance was due to personal reasons, and not because of any rift with WIPA president, Dinanath Ramnarine.
“I also wish to make it clear that I myself was unable to attend due to personal reasons. I expressed regret at my inability to attend. However, at no time did I give any commitment to WIPA or any of its officers that I would be attending the function and any suggestion to the contrary is not based in fact,” Sammy contended over the weekend.
The West Indies captain noted that during the function, WIPA’s Ramnarine called him on the phone regarding his possible presence at the ceremony, and said he was sending a car to the team hotel to pick him up.
“However without waiting for a response from me he hung up the phone. I was unable to contact him to explain that I would not be able to attend as I had previously indicated to him,” said Sammy.
“It has never been in my nature to behave in the manner being suggested. Those who know me as a person can attest to this and despite criticisms, challenges and the like, I have always remained true to the ideals of representing West Indies cricket when and wherever it is required of me,” Sammy concluded.
The all-rounder has been under immense pressure since taking over the team last year, and has suffered through recent bad losses to Pakistan. His team now trails India 3-0 in the current Digicel Pearl One-Day series.
