Daren Sammy spoke about the retirement of Nicholas Pooran, who like many others has preferred to play more franchise-based T20 leagues over national sides lately due to a lot of factors. After the third T20I against England, where the West Indies lost to experience a 0-3 drubbing, Sammy spoke to the reporters, where he was asked about the retirement of Pooran, Klaasen, and others.
Sammy claimed that his instinct told him of such an instance happening. Sammy claimed he would have loved to have someone like Pooran on the side, but added that he couldn’t control a player’s career. The West Indies head coach was glad that Pooran informed his decision early, with the T20 World Cup 2026 not very far away.
“My instincts told me something like that would happen. Ideally, a talent like that, I would love to have him on the team. But I don’t control, nor could I control, anybody’s careers… I wished him well, and 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,” said Sammy as via ESPNcricinfo.
The former skipper felt more cricketers are likely to go the Pooran way, given how T20 cricket works. The two-time T20 World Cup-winning captain felt it was a challenge for individuals to inspire the players to play for the West Indies. He noted that the likes of Heinrich Klaasen, Quinton De Kock, and Glenn Maxwell have taken a similar route.
“I’m pretty sure more will follow in that mood, in that direction. 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,” Sammy added.
Pooran to captain MI New York after Int’l retirement
Sammy not surprised by international retirements
The West Indian claimed to be not surprised a bit with Pooran‘s decision and claimed what he said in the team meeting before the West Indies’ third T20I against England. He claimed the need for the players to play the brand of cricket that entertains fans who come to watch them play for three hours or more. WI will play Ireland in a T20I series of 3 matches to conclude their tour of the United Kingdom.
“Surprised? No, I’m not surprised. I said something to the guys in the team meeting today: we don’t have control. It’s up to each individual to understand what the brand and the crest mean, 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,” Sammy said.
