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Summary There were many who doubted whether Darren Sammy was the right choice as Caribbean captain.
Even those who swiftly began to appreciate the quiet but firm style of leadership Sammy brought to a young team were unconvinced about whether his unheralded skill-set merited an automatic place in the team.On Sunday, Sammy celebrated West Indies biggest tournament success since the 1979 World Cup triumph after his team defeated hosts Sri Lanka in the final of the World Twenty20. But typically, the modest St.Lucian passed up the chance to take a shot at his critics.I never worry about the critics...Everybody will have an opinion but when I go out there on the field, I go on to play for this crest, he said, tapping the West Indies badge on his shirt.Badge-kissing has, of course, become viewed with some justified cynicism in professional sport but for once there was value in the gesture.The symbol of Caribbean cricket has been associated more with what Bob Marley called fussing and a-fighting than with success but Sammy, together with coach Ottis Gibson, has been able to create a winning team spirit that has been absent for so long.Contract rows, disputes over captaincy and selection, player strikes and allegations of mismanagement have hampered West Indies cricket through the past two decades of decline.Talk in the cricket-obsessed Caribbean turned from the question of when the days of domination from the 1970s and 80s would return to simply whether West Indies would be capable of even being competitive again.The question remains open-ended for test cricket but in the shortest format, Sammys team have shown that they are capable of getting back to the top - a huge psychological boost with a broader impact that should not be under-estimated.This is definitely a step forward. We believe we can win matches. Were not trying just to compete any more, said Sammy.We believe we can win against good opposition. We showed signs of that in the last year or so, but we were not winning. Hopefully, this can be the start of something good for the West Indies team and the people.Individual Twenty20 games can be won with some luck and one good innings but a tournament victory requires a broader range of talent that Sammys side showcased amply.
