Daren Sammy
Daren Julius Garvey Sammy SLC,, N.Pk is a Saint Lucian former cricketer who played international cricket for the West Indies. He is currently serving as the head coach of the West Indies cricket team. On making his One-Day International debut against Bangladesh in 2004, Sammy became the first person from the island of St Lucia to play international cricket. Three years later he made his Test debut against England, taking 7/66 which were the best bowling figures for a West Indian in his first Test since Alf Valentine in 1950. Under his captaincy West Indies won the 2012 and 2016 ICC WorldTwenty20. He is the only captain to win the T20 World Cup twice. He was also a member of the West Indies team that won the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy.
Sammy is the only captain to have won World T20 twice. He captained West Indies to the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 victory against Sri Lanka, West Indies' first major trophy for 8 years. Sammy again captained West Indies to victory in the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 against England. Sammy captained Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League from 2017 until 2020, when he stepped down due to fitness. He then agreed to a two-year head coaching contract for Peshawar Zalmi.
On 5 August 2016, Sammy was informed he was being dropped as T20I captain of West Indies.
In the 2017 Birthday Honours, Sammy was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to sports.
For his part in bringing back international cricket to Pakistan, Sammy received the highest civilian medal of Pakistan, Nishan-e-Pakistan on 23 March 2020. He was also awarded honorary Pakistani citizenship by the President of Pakistan Arif Alvi.
In June 2021, Sammy was appointed as a member of the Cricket West Indies Board of Directors as an independent non-member director.
Early life
Daren Sammy was raised in the Seventh-day Adventist Church by his parents Wilson and Clara. His mother wanted him to become a pastor in the church. He was educated at Micoud Combined School, Emmanuel SDA Combined School and Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School. Sammy while growing up played with Garey Mathurin, Gaspard Prospere, Joachim George and others.Debut
On 2 October 2001 Daren Sammy made his List A debut at the age of 17. Playing in the Red Stripe Bowl for the Northern Windward Islands against Jamaica he bowled nine overs without taking a wicket and scored 25 runs before he was run out as his team slid to defeat. Playing three matches Sammy was his team's second-highest run-scorer with 90 runs, and took one wicket. Sammy was a member of the West Indies team to the 2002 Under-19 World Cup, which was held that year in New Zealand; he made 22 runs and took three wickets. Other members of that team, which lost to Australia in the semi-final, included Dwayne Bravo, Narsingh Deonarine, Ravi Rampaul, Shane Shillingford, Lendl Simmons, and Gavin Tonge all of whom went on to play for the West Indies senior team.Upon his return from New Zealand, Sammy was picked to attend the Shell Cricket Academy at St. George's University in Grenada in 2002. The scheme aimed to help what were considered the Caribbean's "brightest cricketing prospects" develop skills to help them professionally, including areas such as money management to complement their cricketing ability. Other notable players in that classjust a handful would go on to play senior cricket for West Indiesincluded Dwayne Smith, Narsingh Deonarine, Carlton Baugh, Daren Powell, and Omari Banks.
On 31 January 2003, Sammy made his first-class debut for the Windward Islands against Barbados in the 2002/03 Carib Beer Cup. Batting at number seven, he scored no runs before being dismissed by spin bowler Sulieman Benn in the first innings, but fared better in the second, scoring 25 and falling to Benn again. Sammy bowled six overs in the match without taking a wicket. He played one further match in that season's cup, again succumbing for a duck in the first innings and failing to take a wicket. In the second innings he recorded his maiden first-class half-century, scoring 53 runs from 70 balls before he was dismissed by spin bowler Mahendra Nagamootoo. At the start of the 2003 season in England, Sammy joined the Marylebone Cricket Club Young Cricketers. Whilst still a member of the Young Cricketers, Sammy was called to the West Indies to join the University of the West Indies Vice Chancellor's XI against England in a warm-up match.
International cricket career
First international experience
Following a successful domestic season in which Sammy finished as the Windward Islands' second highest wicket-taker in the Regional Four Day Competition with 22 scalps and 261 runs, he was the only uncapped player selected in the 15-man West Indies squad for the NatWest Triangular One Day International Series with England and New Zealand in June 2004. Counting in favour of his selection was Sammy's experience of English conditions: in 2003 he played for Barnes Cricket Club in the Middlesex Premier Cricket League. He subsequently earned his first West Indies cap in odd circumstances. Due to heavy rain the West Indies' match against New Zealand at the Rose Bowl was abandoned without a ball being bowled. But the captains had already completed the toss, and the fixture counts in ICC records as Sammy's first match.In September, Sammy was recalled to the senior team in place of 22-year-old Jamaican fast bowler Jermaine Lawson who withdrew from the Champions Trophy squad with a stress fracture of the lower back. Sammy, at the age of 20, became the first international cricketer to emerge from St Lucia. For his actual playing debut, back at the Rose Bowl, Sammy took 1 wicket for 19 runs off six overs and held on to three catches as West Indies beat Bangladesh by 138 runs. It was the only match Sammy played in the tournament. The West Indies went on to win the trophy, beating England in the final.
Early international career
When the West Indies toured India in January 2007 Sammy was included in the squad, with a chance to make his Test debut. However, shortly before the team departed, he suffered an injury that ruled him out of the tour. After that set-back, Sammy travelled to England in April and May where he played in the Central Lancashire League ahead of the West Indies' tour of the country in May. He was selected in the touring squad. This time, the team won the NatWest limited overs series. And the 23-year-old St Lucian won his first Test cap in the third Test match at Old Trafford on 7 June. He claimed his first Test wicket when he dismissed Alastair Cook caught by Dwayne Bravo, but his first innings was unremarkable save for his economy, giving up just 1.88 runs per over off 17 completed overs. In the second innings, though, Sammy caught England captain Michael Vaughan off his own bowling, with the England score 99/2. In his 17th over, he had Ian Bell caught behind by Ramdin. Next ball he had Matt Prior by the same route. A couple of balls later, on the same score he dismissed Liam Plunkett, caught by Bravo. Five wickets gone, four to Sammy, three in five balls. He continued his excellent debut, capturing the wickets of Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar, before snagging Paul Collingwood to end with seven wickets for 66 runs. His bowling figures were the best at Old Trafford since Malcolm Marshall's 7/22 in 1988, and the best by any West Indian on debut since Alf Valentine took 8/102 in 1950.As an all-rounder Sammy did not cover himself in glory on that tour, averaging just 14.20 runs from 10 innings, twice unbeaten. He had just the tenth highest aggregate on a tour that included matches against Scotland and the Netherlands. As a bowler, he excelled with a team-best average of 17.72, 18 wickets from 93.5 overs.
Sammy was called up to the Stanford Superstars, a team compiled by American billionaire Allen Stanford, when Dwayne Bravo pulled out with an injury. He was not slated to play the first game, but Shivnarine Chanderpaul had a neck strain that precluded his participation. So all Sammy did was to provide electric fielding and consistent bowling to force his way into the side. As expected, the Superstars made it to the series finale to face England. The prize money at stake was US$20 million, $1 million each to the players on the winning team. Bowling first, the Superstars dismissed England for 99 runs. Sammy took 2/13 and made one catch. He did not bat in the series.
During the 2008/09 Regional Four Day Competition, Sammy played seven matches for the Windward Islands, scoring 476 runs at an average of 43.27 and recording his maiden first-class century. His innings of 121 came from 140 balls and was scored against Barbados who were fielding a bowling line up including Tino Best, Kemar Roach, and Corey Collymore who all had international experience. During the innings he also passed 2,000 runs in first-class cricket. Sammy took 23 wickets in the competition at an average of 21.65.
In July 2009, there was a pay dispute between the West Indies players and the West Indies Cricket Board. An understrength squad was picked for the series against Bangladesh. Of the 15 players named, nine were uncapped; Sammy was appointed vice-captain and in the Test seven West Indies players made their debut. The West Indies lost the series 2–0 as Bangladesh secured their first overseas series win. Sammy was the West Indies second-highest wicket-taker in the series with 12 wickets at an average of 17.33. he also scored 90 runs at an average of 22.50.
The WICB announced its central contracts in November 2009, and Sammy was included in the 33-man list. He was given a Grade B contract worth $80,000. His career-best Man of the Match figures of 4–26 in the third ODI in Saint Vincent & the Grenadines would have been more flattering still had captain Chris Gayle been able to hold on to a catch that would have given the tall Saint Lucian the distinction of becoming the first West Indian to take a five-fer in every form of the game; he had 5–26 off the same opponents in a Twenty20 International earlier in the series. West Indies bowled Zimbabwe for 104, having made 245.
In the fourth ODI, Sammy took 1–24 as West Indies won by four wickets; in the final match, he had 3–33 as West Indies again won by four wickets. Sammy finished the series as West Indies' joint top wicket-taker, himself and Kemar Roach sharing 16 scalps equally.
Playing at home, the West Indies had high hopes for the 2010 version of the Twenty20 competition. The tournament did not start off too badly, Sammy scoring 30 as the West Indies made 138–9 against Ireland, then capturing 3–8 and holding on to a record four catches as Ireland were routed for just 68, the second-lowest total in Twenty20s, and losing by 70 runs. But eventually West Indies were knocked out of contention when they were drubbed by Australia at Beausejour Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia. He had a forgettable match in front of his home crowd, but overall, Sammy had had a good series. He ended with 51 runs in four innings, the fourth highest aggregate for West Indies, and his 12.75 was the seventh best average. But as a bowler, his six wickets and average of 12.0 topped the West Indies, and his economy rate of 5.26 runs per over was second.
In the second ODI against South Africa at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua-Barbuda, West Indies appeared well on their way to a second consecutive loss. 200–6 in the 41st over, well short of their winning target of 301, Sammy joined Dwayne Bravo at the crease. But six sixes and two fours later, it looked as though West Indies might just win. Sammy had amassed 58 runs, the fifty coming up off just twenty deliveries. It was the fastest fifty ever by a West Indies player, and more importantly, it had brought West Indies within reach of victory.
But successive run-outs – Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul and Nikita Miller all went by that route – left Sammy stranded and the West Indies 17 runs shy.