West Indies head coach Daren Sammy cut a relaxed figure ahead of Sunday’s must-win clash against India at Eden Gardens, using his trademark wit to field questions at the pre-match press conference in Kolkata.
Asked whether ace spinner Akeal Hosein would feature in what is effectively a knockout game, Sammy was characteristically coy. “Will I tell you my 11? No I will not. But I can tell you that all my soldiers are ready for battle tomorrow when called upon. You have to wait for the toss for the 11,” he said with a smile.
When pressed on whether he’d introduce spinners in the powerplay, Sammy pulled an UNO reverse — turning the question back on the reporter. “What do you think I would do? You hope I will? There you go, there’s your answer.” The room burst out laughing.
Beneath the calypso charm, though, is a coach who has quietly turned the Windies into one of the most dangerous sides in this World Cup. After their unbeaten run ended against South Africa, Sammy was clear about where that result belongs. “Leave South Africa in Ahmedabad. I think we sent a stronger message about how deep our batting is. Our focus has been solely on what we have to do tomorrow against a strong Indian team.”
He framed the contest in terms that will resonate with every West Indies fan. “I still think in order to win this tournament you have to go through India at some point. Tomorrow is that day for us. I’m pretty sure they’ll have 80,000 here tomorrow and another 1.4 billion supporting India — so it will feel like a David and Goliath showdown. But like I said, in 2016, David beat Goliath. That’s what I’m going to tell my boys tomorrow,” said the 2016 T20 World Cup-winning captain.
And if they do pull it off? Sammy gave a glimpse of what’s coming. “We have our ritual when we win — I don’t even know all the words but I’m enjoying it. It’ll be a massive celebration if we get through. We haven’t been to the semifinals in 10 years, so that would mean everything to this group. In just over 26 hours, the bell rings here at Kolkata — and that’s where the dancing starts.”
