Sammy will not succumb to pressure from critics

Often-maligned West Indies captain Darren Sammy is adamant that he remains unaffected by constant criticism hurled in his direction, insisting that opinions will have absolutely no bearing on the way he approaches the game.

"I live my life under one principle: Christ came to this earth, he did nothing wrong, yet still he was crucified. I am nowhere close to that man, so anybody can have an opinion about me," Sammy told journalists following his team's triumph in the ICC World Twenty20 tournament.

unpopular cricketer

The 28-year-old St Lucian native joined batting legends Brian Lara and Clive Lloyd as the only captains to lead the West Indies to major world titles, after defeating hosts Sri Lanka in the final last weekend. However, unlike those two regionally revered counterparts, few could argue that the road faced by the unpopular cricketer has been far more difficult.

Since taking over from Jamaican batting sensation Chris Gayle in 2010, Sammy has received more than his fair share of stinging criticism from fans and pundits alike. Many have insisted that the player simply does not merit a place in the squad, despite several strong and consistent performances with both bat and ball. In fact, Sammy is currently ranked 10th in the world based on the ICC Reliance rankings for top ODI all-rounders.

But, according to the player, his trials in the court of public opinion does not affect his mentality.

"I like it. My shoulders are broad enough, it's always been like that since I started playing cricket."

Despite batsman Marlon Samuels being the star of the show on Sunday, few could deny that the skipper played a crucial role in the team's victory. Sammy scored 26 not out from 15 balls and took two key wickets, and two catches.

"Every day, once I wear this crest, I wear it on my heart, and that's what matters. I turn up. If I didn't have a good day, yeah, I sucked, but I will come back the next day and try and put in a better performance. I don't play for glory, I play for the Caribbean people," Sammy said.

Captain's tale- How Sammy stacks up against former Windies SKIPPERS

Darren Sammy

Courtney Walsh

Chris Gayle

Brian Lara

ODI cricket

Played Won Lost Drawn

40 16 (40.00%) 22 (55.00%) 2 (5.00%)

Test cricket

Played Won Lost Drawn

214 (19.05%) 8 (38.10%) 9 (42.86%)

ODI cricket

Played Won Lost Drawn

4322 (51.16%) 20 (46.51%) 1 (2.33%)

Test cricket

Played Won Lost Drawn

226 (27.27%) 7 (31.82%) 9 (40.91%)

ODI cricket

Played Won Lost Drawn

12559 (47.20%) 59 (47.20%) 7 (5.60%)

Test cricket

Played Won Lost Drawn

47 10 (21.28%) 26 (55.32%) 11 (23.40%)

ODI cricket

Played Won Lost Drawn

5317 (32.08%) 30 (56.60%) 6 (11.32%)

Test cricket

Played Won Lost Drawn

203 (15.00%) 9 (45.00%) 8 (40.00%)