Andy Roberts: No immediate success for Test coach Sammy

PORT OF SPAIN: Legendary West Indies fast bowler Sir Andy Roberts does not believe the appointment of Daren Sammy as head coach of the Test team will result in any immediate success for the regional side.

On December 16 during the Cricket West Indies (CWI) quarterly press conference held in St Vincent, director of Cricket Miles Bascombe revealed that Sammy, the white-ball head coach, would take over from current head coach of the Test side Andre Coley effective April 1, 2025.

Sammy’s promotion came on the heels of impressive results, where he led the T20 team to victories in 20 of their 35 matches, while the ODI side won 15 of their 28 matches during his 18 months in charge.

However, speaking on radio station I95.5FM on December 19, the 73-year-old, who took 202 Test wickets in just 42 matches, said there first needed to be a change in mindset by the players if the West Indies was to return to their glory days. “I don’t see any coach, any coach making a difference until the players can buy into the concept of what made West Indies cricket great in the past,” Sir Andy said.

“Hard work, commitment, the love for the game, rethink your game because you cannot allow coaches to be thinking for you because that seems to be the norm in West Indies cricket.

“Everything that a coach tells them they seem to think that it is gospel. You have to work things out for yourself because what is good for me may not be good for you, so you have to know what is good for yourself and you have to be able to analyse your game on the day, because every day you wake up you won’t feel the same,” he added.

Sir Andy lamented the fact that despite being rooted to the bottom of the Test rankings for decades, West Indies cricket was still being run the same way.

“If you check West Indies cricket, during the years that we have been in the doldrums and today we’re still in the doldrums, but our methods stay the same as it was 15, 20 years ago and it is not a method that is associated with West Indies’ greatness,” Sir Andy maintained.

“We are living in the past as far as Australia, England, India and all of them (are concerned). They are teaching us how to play cricket now and we were the ones that they were following. Now we’re the followers.” CMC