Proud Sammy savours West Indies’ T20 success

While Sammy conceded that there was plenty of work left to do in the Test arena, he added that it would be impossible to overlook the accomplishments of the T20 side. “We get a lot of stick wherever we go because of the way we play Test cricket. T20 and Test cricket are totally different formats. We are very good in T20 cricket, the fact is that we have not been able to play a brand of Test cricket that allows us to win. If you look at our side, we have a young captain in Jason (Holder), who I think is improving all the time. We have some youngsters. With structured development, I see (Darren) Bravo, (Jermain) Blackwood, the double Brathwaites (Kraigg and Carlos), (Devendra) Bishoo and all the guys making an impact. They could take inspiration from the way we play T20s and just be more dedicated to Test cricket. Hopefully this win can inspire our Test cricketers to be better.”

Despite being snapped up for Rs 4.2 crore by Delhi Daredevils in the IPL 9 auction in February, Brathwaite is still a bit of an unknown commodity. Sammy spoke extremely highly of the young allrounder, whose unbeaten 34 off 10 balls had come on the back of 3 for 23 from four excellent overs. “There’s a reason why he was bought in the IPL, they’ve seen what he is capable of doing,” Sammy observed. “When we lost (Kieron) Pollard, I told the guys he’s one to look out for. The way he’s played not only with the bat but also with the ball, he’s going to be a massive asset for us. He’s improved every game. This is the depth we have in the team. No (Sunil) Narine, no Pollard, (Lendl) Simmons came in late, no Darren Bravo and yet still we won a cup. It shows that we are really good in the format. Again today, the way he (Brathwaite) played under pressure was just tremendous to watch.