3 days ago
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FORMER Jamaica batsman and President of Melbourne Cricket Club Mark Neita has backed Cricket West Indies’ move to appoint Daren Sammy as the head coach across all formats of the game in the Caribbean.
Sammy, the current White-ball head coach, will begin his new job in April 2025.
Neita said that despite Sammy’s inexperience as a coach at Test level, he has shown that he has all the tools needed to be successful across all formats.
“When Daren Sammy was appointed the head coach of the T20 and One Day International teams, I thought it was a good move. Despite the fact that he didn’t have a wealth of experience, I think he has done a very good job with the team. That success he has brought, I think he’ll be able to bring it to all formats across the board,” Neita said.
The former T20 World Cup winning captain was appointed White-ball head coach back in May 2023. Under his guidance, the T20 team has risen from ninth to fifth in the rankings while the ODI team has won four of their seven bilateral series and recently defeated touring Bangladesh 3-0 to end an 11-game win streak by the Asian country. His first Test series will be against the touring Australians in June next year.
Sammy will replace Jamaican Andre Coley as the Test coach, and according to Neita, if the St Lucian is to have success in the longer format of the game, the best White-ball players (ODI and T20) should be convinced to play Test cricket. Under Coley’s leadership, the Test team has won two, drawn two, and suffered seven defeats.
“Without a doubt, the best talents that we have in the region are currently playing T20s, and this is something that needs to be changed. The best batters and bowlers should be playing all formats,” Neita said.
Test cricket ‘has changed’
Neita said that with the change in how Test cricket is played, West Indies should follow the example of the other top teams in the world, which could reap similar success.
“Test cricket in the last 15 years has changed. The approach to the game is different. The level of aggression that England, Australia, and India have adopted has proven to be successful. So why not use the same players with that kind of aggression to get them playing Test cricket?” he suggested.
Meanwhile, Barbadian cricket analyst Barry Wilkinson believes that Sammy’s impact on the Test team will depend on whether changes can be made to the current first-class set-up in the region.
“Since Daren Sammy’s appointment as White-ball coach, we have seen some success. I think he has managed to keep a positive outlook in the team. Our Test cricket bowling has improved, but our batting needs some serious introspection. Unless Sammy can encourage Cricket West Indies to overhaul the first-class tournament, I don’t see him making a major difference,” Wilkinson stated.
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