West Indies’ two-time T2
0 World Cup winning Captain, Darren Sammy, took time out from his personal rest and relaxation getaway on Anguilla to inspire Anguilla’s young cricketers at a press conference on Friday April 22nd. The press conference was organized by Digicel and the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association (AHTA).
The panel was introduced by Mrs. Gilda Gumbs-Samuel, Executive Director of the AHTA. She said: “When my dear friend Kirchelle gave me the call that Darren Sammy was going to be in Anguilla, the first thing that came to mind was the kids – so I made a few calls. I would like to say thank you very much to Mr. Sammy and his beautiful wife for agreeing to do this on their private weekend stay”. Captain Sammy shared the panel with Honourable Cardigan Connor, Parliamentary Secretary, and Mr. Ralph Hodge, President of the Anguilla Cricket Association.
Mr. Connor reminded the audience of the first time Mr. Sammy visited Anguilla. He recounted: “The fact that Darren was here in Anguilla on a Digicel promotion a number of years ago, before he made the West Indies team,…he went around the schools with Omari [Banks] and Daren Powell, [and] I said that if you’re looking for passion within someone that should not just play for the West Indies team, but lead us as a region, [it would be him]. I saw it back then, and what we’ve seen over the last 10 years certainly is the person that is best suited to be the leader of West Indies cricket”. Mr. Connor continued: “There was so much passion shown at the last World Cup because if there is one thing that bonds us as a people, it’s definitely cricket”.
Captain Sammy walked the young players through his cricket journey to becoming Captain of the West Indies T20 team. He noted that, growing up, cricket was always a love of his and he always admired the West Indies team as they dominated the sport at the time. However, he had no St. Lucian idols to look up to on the team and it was his dream to “become the first St. Lucian to play cricket for the West Indies”, he said. Sammy further stated that pretty early in his life the words – “What the mind can conceive or imagine and the heart can believe, the body can achieve” – from the book ‘The Winning Attitude”, had always served as a mantra to him. “Talent is something, but the mind is the most powerful asset you can have” he said. He urged the young boys to be a champion both in sports as well in academics: “You are not too young to be an example for your peers. I know you play cricket but life is the most important thing. So once you believe you can achieve”.
Along with members of the press, the young players used the opportunity to pose a number of questions to the West Indian cricketer. When asked what his recipe for success was, Captain Sammy said: “For this tournament I saw a bunch of determined men. Before the tournament I said we are fifteen match winners, and everybody believed that they could win it for the team. I think that was the recipe – just believing that we had fifteen match winners”. He responded to a question asked about how it feels to play for the West Indies by saying: “Honestly, every time I put on that shirt that says ‘88’, it gives me the chills. As a little boy that’s all I wanted to do, and every time I wear that maroon shirt, I play like it’s my last. It is an honour to represent the West Indies”.
Recalling the final moments of the 2016 T20 World Cup, someone asked Captain Sammy whether he believed his team would have won, to which he said: “I can be honest – yes, I believed we could win. At the toss I asked for an exciting game and the West Indies would be victorious, but we did believe in the group that we could claim the championship…My team, when we go out and play, we play for the fans. Sometimes you may look at the results and say these guys don’t care, but these guys really care about the fans”.
Mr. Ralph Hodge expressed gratitude to Captain Sammy and his wife, on behalf of the Cricket Association and Anguillian cricketers, for taking time out to inspire Anguilla’s young players. He said: “Tonight is very important fo
r our youngsters, because they have a chance to see a person who has made success for themselves, believing and following their belief. Too often we believe and we don’t follow up on that belief”. Among other things he said: “The only single thing that makes us West Indian is cricket”. Mr. Hodge is of the firm belief that Anguilla will produce many more test cricketers as he made a call for support for the sport from the wider community and the business sector.
At the end of the press conference, Darren autographed photos and gave each player that was present their own copy. He also left some with the Anguilla Cricket Association and at CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa where the press conference was held. The young Anguillian cricketers also used the opportunity to present an authentic Anguillian limestone award to the West Indies T20 captain, thanking him for inspiring them.
