Darren Sammy eyes World T/ 20 selection

Former captain of the West Indies senior men’s cricket team Darren Sammy is eyeing selection for the regional side to this year’s ICC T/20 World Cup set for Australia from October 18 to November 15.

Sammy, who turned 36 last December 20 made his intent clear, as he was the featured speaker at the St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association Inc.’s awards and gala dinner, staged at the Arnos Vale Playing Field.

Responding to a question from the audience, Sammy, who was speaking one day after his birthday disclosed: “I am going to make one push to break into the T/20 squad for Australia”.

Sammy, who led the West Indies to the World Cup T/20 titles in 2012 and 2016, is not looking for any favours.

“I only want to be selected on performance,” he noted.

In mapping out his path, Sammy said he would be depending on the various T/20 leagues in which he is contracted, to convince selectors with his performance.

“I am hoping that my performance in the different leagues that I play before that will make Miles (Bascombe, a selector), and these guys open their eyes and say that Sammy still has it,” Sammy told the audience.

“We have the CPL (Caribbean Premier League) and that will be August and that will be two months/ three months before the World Cup,” Sammy echoed.

Acknowledging that he is nearing the end of his international cricket career, Sammy stated that making the West Indies World Cup T/20 team is his immediate goal for cricket and international cricket.

A former captain in all three formats for the West Indies, Sammy has played 38 tests, 126 ODIs and 68 T20Is.