Sammy eyes West Indies lifting T20 World Cup at home

West Indies white-ball coach and two-time International Cricket Council (ICC) Twenty/20 World Cup winner Daren Sammy says, winning the World Cup title as a coach “will be the icing” on the cake and he believes his team poses a real threat to other teams heading into this year’s showpiece event.

The 2024 T20 World Cup will be co-hosted by the West Indies and the US from June 1-29. The tournament will bowl off in Dallas when the US take on Canada, with the West Indies opening their campaign on June 2 versus Papua New Guinea (PNG) in Guyana.

The final will be held at the Kensington Oval, Barbados. And, if Sammy and his charges have things their way, the Windies will be lifting their third T20 World Cup title when the dust settles on June 29.

“When the West Indies do well there is a buzz. For us and for me as a coach, to lift up (T20 World Cup) silverware will mean everything. I could just foresee it happening,” Sammy told Cricket West Indies (CWI) media.

“That will be something special to win right in front of our home fans. I think it will be right up there with the 2016 and 2012 (T20) World Cup (wins).”

Sammy, who played over 200 international matches for the Windies, famously captained the Caribbean team to T20 World Cup success on two occasions after epic victories over Sri Lanka and England in 2012 and 2016 respectively. On both occasions, the West Indies team looked down and out in the final, but remarkable game-changing performances from players such as Carlos Brathwaite and Marlon Samuels dramatically got the team over the line.

West Indies were knocked out of the first round at the 2021 T20 World Cup, while they failed to make it past the qualifying stage of the subsequent 2022 edition. Under the new skipper Rovman Powell, though, the Windies recorded T20 international (T20I) series wins against South Africa, India and reigning T20 World Cup champions England in 2023.

In February, the Caribbean team fell 2-1 to host team Australia in a high-scoring T20I series that saw the West Indies scoring over 200 runs in each match.

Sammy said his team is showing ominous signs – particularly with the bat – and he believes they will be a difficult opposition to face on home soil once they get their execution spot on. The former WI skipper said he is also seeing signs of the 2012 and 2016 teams which included T20 superstars such as Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine and hard-hitting allrounder Andre Russell, who has made a return to the regional squad.

“West Indies are a dangerous force. I have said it before to my guys. I said to them, ‘I’ve seen this team before.’

“This type of power and the explosiveness. It was a team I captained for six or seven years. I believe my guys are ready and more victories brings more character, more self-belief and builds more cohesiveness in the team. It allows me as a head coach to have more players to pick from.”

The Windies have been placed alongside Afghanistan, New Zealand, PNG and Uganda in group C. And while Sammy has full respect for all teams in the group, he says mastering the conditions will help his team “play a brand of cricket which will enable us to get victories.”

After their game against PNG, the Windies will play Uganda in Guyana on June 8 and New Zealand in Trinidad on June 12, before finishing the group phase with a match against Afghanistan at the Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium in St Lucia on June 17.

Sammy is in constant communication with Powell and members of his coaching staff concerning specific roles for players.

“There is no better place to play cricket than in the Caribbean. It’s a different atmosphere. Over the years, what we have been able to create as a cricket destination is (because of) you the fans.”

Sammy’s last game for West Indies came in April 2016 when Brathwaite hit Englishman Ben Stokes for four consecutive sixes to give the men in maroon a four-wicket win in the T20 World Cup finale. He says another T20 World Cup trophy win could top that moment.

“That will always have a special place in my heart. I’m pretty sure if we can win this next World Cup coming, that will definitely top it off. That will be the icing on the cake — the creme de la creme.”