All is forgiven – from management’s end and now Dwayne Smith’s too.
Barbados’ newly installed T20 captain says he holds no hard feelings for being previously overlooked to lead the ultramarine and gold.
Smith made the comment during yesterday’s national practice session at Queen’s Park, two weeks after the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA)?elevated him to captain Barbados for next month’s Caribbean Twenty20 after rejecting recommendations on two earlier occasions.
“As they said it [my being overlooked] was punishment for what I had said in the past and I thought it was done there and then, but I’ve looked past that and it doesn’t matter because once I’m playing cricket for Barbados I’m happy,” the 29-year-old told the WEEKEND SPORT in a candid interview.
“I don’t think I need to harp on that and I believe it was gone from the time it happened. I made an apology about it so that’s done and there’s no reason to really bring it up.
“ . . . since then I’ve been putting in some good performances for Barbados so I don’t have to worry about that,” he added.
The BCA’s previous firm stance was thought to be a response to unflattering remarks Smith made at a post-match news conference four years ago when he was first chosen as skipper for the then Stanford T20.
But BCA first vice-president Conde Riley said recently that Smith had matured and shouldn’t continue to pay for a mistake he made more than four years ago.
And just as the BCA downplayed the situation, Smith has done likewise over the significance of finally being appointed to lead Barbados.
“I mean this is really good because everyone would like to lead their team but it’s not going to happen for everyone. However, my real goal has always been to help Barbados win games,” Smith stated.
“But I do have an added responsibility to lead the guys and this is a situation where I am the most experienced Twenty20 cricketer so people will be looking up to me.
“I also want make sure I get in good consistent performances because everyone feeds off the openers in Twenty20 so it’s important for me to get out there and get a good start,” he added.
The Caribbean Twenty20 officially starts on January 6, one day before Barbados open their campaign against the Leeward Islands at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad, where they are also slated to face Jamaica, Guyana and the Combined Campuses and Colleges.
