West Indies back to board games

The West Indies Cricket Board on Monday hit back at captain Darren Sammy over his scathing attack on it after the team’s World Twenty20 victory on Sunday night but offered to talk to the players on how to resolve the long-standing pay dispute.

Sammy gave vent to the team’s frustration with its administrators saying that lack of support from the board has been disappointing after the team’s second World T20 title triumph, beating England by four wickets.

Hours after this, the WICB issued a statement headlined ‘WICB president has high praises for World Twenty20 Organisers’ in which it termed Sammy’s comments “inappropriate”.

WICB president Dave Cameron ignored the grievances expressed by Sammy on the issue of lack of support to players but apologised to the organisers for the captain’s outburst before a capacity crowd at the Eden Gardens.

“The president would like to however apologise for what could be deemed inappropriate, comments made by the West Indies’ male captain, Darren Sammy in a post-match interview and would like to apologise on behalf of the WICB, to the millions of fans who witnessed (sic),” Cameron said in the statement. “The president has pledged to enquire the reason and will have the matter addressed.”

Sammy’s emotional outburst targetted not just the board.

“We needed silverware in the Caribbean in 2012 and yes nobody gave us a chance back then. This one with all that happened before the tournament the disrespect from journalists and from our own cricket board that was out of order. The only way we could make statement is by winning this tournament. ...I’m yet to hear from our own cricket board. That is very disappointing.”