KOLKATA, India, CMC – Captain Darren Sammy has lashed out at cricket broadcaster Mark Nicholas for describing West Indies as “short of brains” in a pre-tournament preview, and says the comment helped served as a catalyst for the side’s success in the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup.
Writing before the tournament, Nicholas said West Indies were “short of brains but have IPL history in their ranks”, a comment Sammy and the Caribbean side took great exception to.
“How could you describe people with ‘no brains’? Animals got brains. We’re not an object,” an emotional Sammy told a media conference on the eve of the Twenty20 World Cup final here yesterday.
“To me that particular comment really set it off for us. You could see me talking about it. It’s kind of emotional, as for somebody whom I respect and had good rapport with that particular gentleman.
“To describe our team who were defending champions four years ago as we guys with no brains is really out of order.”
West Indies lost just once in the preliminaries – to Afghanistan in their final game – to top Group 1 ahead of the semi-finals.
They then produced a spectacular performance against tournament favourites India, chasing down 193 at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday in Mumbai, to book their spot in the final.
Sammy said because of the criticism, West Indies had become closer as a unit, and were now highly motivated ahead of Sunday’s final.
“Everybody is entitled to their opinion. You guys (media) ask most difficult questions to get a good story. We understand that. The key for us is the belief in our own circle. Whatever they say it does not really matter,” Sammy pointed out.
“God don’t love the ugly and we’re very wonderful and very beautiful men that’s why we play exciting cricket. For us all these things have happened before the tournament. That’s the passion, determination that we take on the field. It’s one more step. We believe that we could do it.”
Not for the first time, Sammy also pointed to the contracts dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board prior to the start of the tournament which for a while put the team’s participation in doubt.
He said that too had also forced the team to bond even closer.
“It’s been a tough journey. A lot happened before the tournament started but I always believed
everything happens for a reason,” Sammy said.
“I think the pre-tournament shenanigans brought us really closer together as a team. I don’t know whether you have heard it. It feels like it’s us against everybody else.
“All these things bring us closer. The fact is few of us are old now so we are aware this could be the last for a few of our key players. That brought us together and we formed our own circle.”
