Western Bureau:

When Darren Sammy, the current West Indies T20 and Test captain, was first drafted into the West Indies team, I was one of the persons who felt the selectors had blundered badly because I saw no special talent in him.

After watching his struggles without success to justify his place in the team, I was simply floored when, during a period of acrimony between the West Indies cricket board and several senior players, Sammy was surprisingly asked to lead the team, an offer he accepted.

Over time, however, Sammy has gradually earned my respect as both a player and captain. As a player, he is always striving, through hard work and his lion-hearted approach, to make up for his lack of special talent and, as captain, it is quite clear that he has worked assiduously to become a student of the game.

During the just-concluded ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, Sammy emerged as one of the players who was a major star. In fact, it came as no surprise to me that he had the enviable distinction of being named in the team of the tournament.

Personally, I believe that if gifted players like Marlon Samuels, whose overall performance was woefully lacking in conviction, had given 50 per cent of the effort that Sammy gave, the team would not have been found wanting for runs in the rain-affected semi-final loss to Sri Lanka.

By the West Indies' standard, I think Samuels is a fairly talented batsman, but I am somewhat worried that he seems to be more concerned about his personal success rather than the team's. As a consequence, I don't see him as one who would sacrifice his wicket for the team if the situation warranted it.

In addition, I don't think the team is benefiting in any significant way from Samuels' vast experience. Unlike players like South Africa's AB de Villiers and India's Virat Kohli, whose trademark approach is to take charge for the team whenever they go out to bat, Samuels seems content to drift off into a world of his own, a situation which hurt the team in the game against Sri Lanka.

As one who was a fan of Samuels when he broke into the West Indies team, I never knew that I would ever find myself saying this, but, if there is one place left available on the West Indies team and I am asked to choose between Sammy and Samuels, Samuels would be the one left to carry the towel and drinks.

As I look back at what unfolded in Bangladesh, I believe that, had the team played smarter cricket, we could have retained the title. In the game against India, openers Chris Gayle and Dwayne Smith batted like cowards and squandered our chances, and in the semi-final against Sri Lanka, Samuels did much the same.

In fact, in accessing the overall performances of the team, I believe players like Dwayne Bravo, Krishmar Santokie, Samuel Badree, Sammy, Sunil Narine and Denesh Ramdin basically measured up to expectations and, with the requisite support, could well have won the tournament for the West Indies.

Going forward, I believe the West Indies board needs to come up with creative ways to get the players to understand the importance of playing for the team. It is obvious that a player like Sammy has the required awareness, but I could never say the same for Samuels.

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