Sammy: Another spinner will get Windies back on top

DAREN Sammy knows what it takes to be a world T20 champion. He achieved it on two occasions. To get back to the pinnacle of the T20 format, the West Indies white-ball coach said a quality leg spinner would be welcomed.

Sammy captained the West Indies to World T20 titles in 2012 and 2016. Leg spinner Samuel Badree, once the top-ranked T20 bowler in the world, was in those teams.

Productive left-arm spinners Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie are in the team now, but another spinner will give the T20 team another dangerous option.

Sammy said, “Akeal Hosein, number one bowler (in the world recently), but his role is so different from the traditional spinners. He is more or less (bowling) in the powerplay. Motie has been very consistent for us, however I would love to have the services of a wrist spinner. Whether it be left-arm wrist spin (or) leg spin.”

He said some of the top T20 teams have a spinner that fills that role.

“We’ve seen that they have been so effective (with) India winning the World Cup here in the Caribbean (last year with) Kuldeep Yadav, South Africa getting (Tabraiz) Shamsi, Australia Adam Zampa (and) England Adil Rashid. All of these guys seem to impact the game on the winning side and we are yet to produce this.”

CWI has been making attempts to produce more spinners and help batsmen improve their ability to face spin. In January, a specialised high-performance batting spin and spin-bowling camp was held.

Sammy said mystery spinner Sunil Narine, like Badree, was a key member when West Indies were the best T20 team in the world.

Another area he identified to improve on is the team’s death bowling by the pacers.

Sammy believes the T20 batting is in good hands, naming Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran and Sherfane Rutherford.

“We have, as a batting group, one of the most destructive batting line-ups.”

The 2026 World Cup will be held in India and Sri Lanka.