Love For Cricket Doesn’t Buy You Groceries: Darren Sammy, West Indies’ T20 World Cup-winning Skipper

“It hurts man, it hurts.” When asked about the inevitable downfall of West Indies cricket, Darren Sammy’s eyes said it all. The Caribbean team’s performance at the current T20 World Cup reached a low point as the two-time champions (2012 and 2016) failed to even make it to the Super 12.

Sammy is likely to feel upset and irritated because he has led his team to two T20 World Cup victories. However, he is also pragmatic enough to see the real-world challenges, like as the inadequate financial security provided by Cricket West Indies (CWI).

Sammy makes it abundantly obvious that, in contrast to BCCI, the West Indies board cannot prevent its players from opting to play for franchise leagues rather than a variety of island nations. “India is strong because they have the ability to instruct their players not to play elsewhere. You must realise that they have the financial resources to support it, Sammy said PTI in an exclusive interview about the problems facing West Indies cricket.

“An India A list contracted player could probably make a million dollar a year (Rs 7 crore plus match fees plus TV rights money) compared to a Windies A lister, who would earn USD 150,000 (Rs 1.2 crore roughly).

“That’s a massive difference and obviously the question of pay (disparity) will always come up. It’s very difficult for smaller boards (in terms of financial might) to keep their players together when they are handsomely paid elsewhere,” Sammy said without mincing words while hitting the nail on its head.A sportsperson’s peak years are brief, and it’s no longer amateur competition where men in flannels played for love of the game.

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