Daren Sammy has expertise in CPL and PSL coaching, but this would be his first job in international cricket. The national federation of West Indies revealed on Friday that Daren Sammy, the only person to guide his team to two T20 World Cup victories, has been named the new head coach of the white ball teams.
Daren Sammy Steps onto the International Stage: From CPL and PSL to Coaching West Indies
The T20I and ODI sides for the West Indies will be coached by Daren Sammy, who guided the nation to two T20 World Cup victories. The Test and West Indies A teams will be led by Andre Coley, who served as West Indies’ temporary coach after Phil Simmons’ resignation.
Kishore Shallow, who succeeded Ricky Skerritt as president of the CWI in March, said that Daren Sammy had only sought the white-ball position. Additionally, Shallow mentioned that the board had received 20 applications from different countries. One of the candidates for the job was the former West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul who had led the Jamaica Tallawahs to the CPL championship in 2022. The interviews were held by a five-person panel consisting of Jimmy Adams, director of cricket at CWI; Enoch Lewis, chair of the cricket committee; Oneka Martin-Bird, board HR manager; Debra Coryat-Patton, one of CWI’s recently independent directors, and Shallow.
Daren Sammy’s first task will be a three-match ODI series against the UAE in Sharjah in June as part of the team’s preparations for the World Cup qualifying matches in Zimbabwe in June and July.
Daren Sammy stated in a CWI release that the task would be one that he was eager to take on. “Considering our talent and the effect I can have on the locker room, I’m looking forward to the chance. My mindset as a player will carry over into my new role: I’ll still be passionate, ambitious, and committed to West Indies cricket.
“When I look around, there is a wealth of talent, and what I witnessed in South Africa in the white-ball matches under the new captains Shai Hope and Rovman Powell, as well as the guidance offered by Andre Coley, shows that there is tremendous confidence that we can succeed. I’m eager to share my expertise, tactical insight, interpersonal abilities, and knowledge of managing people. I enjoy developing ideas and watching the players carry them out.
Sammy has coached in the PSL and the CPL, but this will be his first job in international cricket. Sammy met all the requirements for a coaching position, Shallow noted, although he needs to be a qualified coach. Several standards do not necessarily apply to Level 3 [coaches]. “It’s perfect, but when we look at the various assessments, he qualified to be the head coach, which is why he was initially shortlisted and then interviewed by a panel of five,” the interviewer said.
Sammy’s abilities as a captain and coach were crucial to St. Lucia Kings’ recent CPL win. In 2020, despite Chris Gayle withdrawing from the season, he defied the odds and led an underdog Kings team to the CPL final.
From West Indies Legend to Performance Mentor in West Indies Cricket
Sammy played in the CPL final for the last time as a player. He was chosen as the Kings T20 cricket team’s brand ambassador and consultant for CPL 2021. As a backroom staff member, he collaborated with coach Andy Flower. Sammy succeeded Flower as the team’s head coach last year and guided them to the Eliminator, where Kings fell to the eventual winner Tallawahs. Under Sammy’s direction, players who thrived at King’s were wicketkeeper-bat Johnson Charles, all-rounder Roston Chase, and fast bowler Alzarri Joseph.
Before being reappointed to the position for PSL 2023, Sammy had previously coached Peshawar Zalmi in 2020 and 2021. Since the PSL’s establishment in 2016, Sammy has been a pillar of the team and one of the most identifiable foreign faces in the competition.
Coley’s first task will be the two-match home Test series against India in July. As we emphasized progressing the Test rankings and qualifying for the World Test Championship final in June 2025, Coley remarked, “I am looking forward to the difficulties that lie ahead as well as the opportunities.” “I’m also eager to collaborate with all our stakeholders, build stronger bonds, and promote a high-performance attitude.
“I am also thrilled to collaborate closely with the ‘A’ squad. We want to maximise possibilities for teams to play competitive cricket outside our first-class tournament and provide players with more experience in other international playing environments. The player development and group performances will benefit from my proficiency in applying analytics, leadership style, technical understanding, and collaborative efforts with Daren.
As long as his contract with West Indies is in effect (which extends until January 2024), Brian Lara, now serving as the head coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, will continue to serve as a performance mentor. Read more cricket news here at IPLWin India.
