Not so long ago, the former West Indies captain, Nicholas Pooran announced retirement, sending shockwaves across the cricketing world. At just 29, when he had plenty of cricket left in his career, he chose league cricket over national duty.
It is a pity or one can say a hard truth that a talent like Pooran ever played a Test, and his last ODI was two years ago. Pooran who has been the leading run-scorer for Windies in the T20 format said goodbye to the cricket world 8 months ago, this news, took many by surprise, but not, Daren Sammy.
“My instincts told me something like that would happen,” Sammy said on Tuesday night, after West Indies’ sixth consecutive defeat on their white-ball tour to England.
“Nicholas sent me a text message, and so did I have a conversation with his agent as well… When we first spoke about the UK tour and the conversation I had with him, I did ask him, ‘Are you unavailable for the UK tour only, or indefinite?’ And from that response, I just knew I had to start preparing for the worst case.
“Ideally, a talent like that, I would love to have him in the team. But I don’t control nor could I control anybody’s careers… I wished him well, he wished the team well. It is [about] trying to move on now from planning a game plan without Nicholas Pooran. With a World Cup coming ahead, I respect the fact that he told us early enough so we have more time to plan without him.”
When questioned about Pooran’s choice, Sammy disclosed that he had discussed his own pride in representing the West Indies crest with his players during their team meeting prior to Tuesday’s Twenty20 International in Southampton.
“Surprised? No, I’m not surprised,” Sammy said. “I said something to the guys in the team meeting today: we don’t have control. It’s up to each individual. I made my debut in 2004 right at this ground, and I see here today in the stands the same people from 2004 – 21 years ago – the same fans: loyal, coming, bringing food, and everything they’ve been doing that way before I started, for Sir Viv [Richards] and these guys.
“You saw everybody talk about Heinrich Klaasen, Quinton de Kock, these guys who’ve retired. It’s out of our control”
“The passion they have travelling from London, all over, coming to watch us playing – not because we are great, [but] because of the love they have for the game and for West Indies cricket; what it meant to them when West Indies came here back in the 80s with Sir Viv and Clive [Lloyd], and they won games; the feeling it gave them during that era, walking down the streets, going to work the following day.
“It is up to us, each individual, to understand what the brand and the crest means, and come out and play a brand that those people come and travel three hours to watch you play because of what the crest means to them. It is up to each player to go out and put in that type of passion out there. I could only speak about it, but I can’t force anybody to do it, just like I can’t tell anybody when to call time on their career.”
Using the previous instances of two South African cricket players who withdrew from international competition in their early 30s, Sammy also forecast that additional players would follow Pooran’s path relatively early in their careers.
“I’m pretty sure more will follow in that mood, in that direction,” Sammy said. “That’s the way T20 cricket is now, and especially coming from the West Indies, with the challenges that we face trying to keep our players motivated to play for the crest, so I wouldn’t be surprised. You saw everybody talk about Heinrich Klaasen, Quinton de Kock, these guys who’ve retired. It’s out of our control.”
The West Indies will now go to Ireland for a three-match T20I series that begins on Thursday after struggling greatly in England without Pooran, losing 3-0 in both the ODI and T20I series. Sammy stated that his team’s bowling attack was his biggest worry after they let up 628 runs in 58.3 overs during the T20I series, including 248 in Southampton.
“I think the batting will be more consistent. They have been over the last two years, but we can’t keep asking our batters to chase down high-200s, and then when we set 190 or 200, our bowling has yet to defend it. But I’m a very positive guy… We have enough time and games to put a combination together that could help us be successful.”
