PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Darren Sammy is set to be axed as West Indies Test captain and replaced by Denesh Ramdin for the upcoming New Zealand series, the Trinidad Guardian is reporting.
Quoting an unnamed source in a report carried on Thursday, the newspaper said Ramdin had already received the nod from the West Indies selectors and the final decision would be made during a teleconference among West Indies Cricket Board directors later in the day.
“Denesh received a call from chairman of the selection panel Clyde Butts, who asked him whether or not he was interested in leading the regional team in Test cricket,” the Guardian quoted the source as saying.
“Denesh indicated that he was willing to take on the challenge and this message was passed on to the WICB for ratification. By the end of the teleconference tonight, the region would know who will be at the helm for the New Zealand series.”
Sammy took over the helm of the West Indies team 2010 but last year was relieved of his duties as one-day captain, and replaced by all-rounder Dwayne Bravo.
He has continued to lead the Test and Twenty20 units but disastrous results on the Test tours of India and New Zealand last year, raised fresh doubts about his position.
The Guardian’s source said Sammy’s inability to command a place in the Test XI outside of his role as captain, was of concern.
“Although the WICB has not made a decision on whether they will go with Ramdin or stick with Sammy, it seems that the all-rounder is under serious pressure this time around. He has not commanded a place in the team outside of being captain and some see his inclusion as one that has thrown off selectors when it comes to getting the right XI on the park,” the source said.
“His record has not been up to par in recent time and this will do him no favours when the directors give their two cents at this teleconference. Ramdin, on the other hand, has improved tremendously with the bat over the last year or so and is tactically a better leader than Sammy.”
During his tenure in charge, Sammy has been credited with uniting the squad and returning stability and discipline. Despite this, however, West Indies, continue to languish at number eight in the International Cricket Council’s Test rankings.
Ramdin, meanwhile, has served as Sammy’s deputy in the past but is no stranger to controversy. Only last year during the Champions Trophy in England, he was fined his full match fee and suspended for two one-day matches for wrongly claiming a catch against Pakistan.
In 2012 during the Test tour of England, he was fined 20 per cent of his match fee for a taunt aimed at West Indies legend, Sir Viv Richards, after scoring a century at Edgbaston.