NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – With a bevy of former captains around him, one thing West Indies captain Darren Sammy is unlikely to run out of in the World Cup is advice.
At 27, Sammy is one of the younger captains in the World Cup leading a team that includes former skippers Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan.
While many captains find breathing difficult in a dressing room thick with former skippers, Sammy said he would only benefit from the wisdom of his predecessors in the job.
“It’s a good thing for me, the experience they bring to the side, as a young captain,” the all-rounder told reporters at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium where West Indies will return on Thursday to take on South Africa in a Group B match.
“With Gayle, Chanderpaul, Sarwan, (Dwayne) Bravo — younger players could look up to them. I think it’s a plus for me to have these guys to help me.”
As if this was not enough, Sammy has also been in touch with two other former West Indies captains, while another — Richie Richardson — is here with the team as its manager.
“I received messages from Sir Viv (Richards), I’ve spoken to Clive Lloyd and we have the manager (Richie Richardson), who last played for West Indies in the 1996 World Cup semi-final against Australia.
“So quite a few past players have contacted me or other players and given advice.
“Obviously, we will take what is said and go out and put it in our games.”
More than leading the side, Sammy was just happy to be part of the great West Indian cricket legacy.
“Obviously it’s a massive honour for me to be in the West Indies team. West Indies cricket has great legacy and history and to be part of that is a massive honour for me.
“Every game I play is like my first game, the emotion is right there. Cricket is one uniting force of the Caribbean people. So it’s a highly honourable job for me.”