KOLKATA:
West Indies
captain
Darren Sammy's post-match comments were no way less explosive than the sixes hit by
Carlos Brathwaite. Excerpts....
On the emotions in the dug-out in the final over:Jerome Taylor had predicted that we would win with two balls to spare. He was spot on. We needed this win after going through so much. It was just amazing.
On Brathwaite's knock:There was a reason why he was bought in the IPL (auction). You saw what he is capable of doing. He is one to watch out for. The way he has performed with the bat and ball, he will be a massive asset. No
Pollard
, no
Darren Bravo, no
Narine
, yet we won the Cup. It shows we are too good in this format.
On the 2012 WT20 win and now:We needed the silverware in the Caribbean in 2012 and nobody gave us a chance back then. With all that happened before the tournament - the disrespect from journalists and from our own cricket board was out of order - the only way we could make a statement was by winning this tournament. It is solely dedicated to our people and fans all over the world.
On what made the team tick:When we started this journey, people were wondering whether we would play this tournament. We had a lot of issues, we felt disrespected by our board. Mark Nicholas described us as a team with no brains. All these things before the tournament brought this team together.
On the lack of appreciation from the board:I really want to thank the heads of CARICOM. Throughout this tournament they supported the team. We got e-mails, phone calls. Prime Minister (Keith) Mitchell (from Grenada) sent a very inspiring e-mail for the team this morning. I'm yet to hear from our own cricket board. That is very disappointing.
On what the future holds:I don't know when I will see these guys in the dressing room again. Don't see any T20 schedule this year. We have a tri-series, a series against India. We are not eligible for selection.
On his own role as captain:We left the Caribbean with a six step goal (to win the Cup) Carlos (Brathwaite) in his debut
World T20
showed what a player he is. Marlon (Samuels) again scored in a final. All the guys chipped in for me, as the captain, it was about handling the egos and making the right decisions. People may say I didn't bat much, but my job was to get the best out of the team.
On leg-spinner Samuel Badree's role:It is not forgotten. That's why he is the No. 1 bowler in T20 cricket.
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