Darren Sammy

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Darren Sammy : biography

20 December 1983 –
Sammy’s record as captain as of 30 April 2013
  Matches Won Lost Drawn Tied No result
url=http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Records/WestIndies/Test/Miscellaneous/Captains/Playing_Record_Captain_Overall.html |title=West Indies captains’ playing record in Test matches |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=30 April 2013}} 25 8 8 9 0
url=http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Records/WestIndies/ODI/Miscellaneous/Captains/Playing_Record_Captain_Overall.html |title=West Indies captains’ playing record in ODI matches |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=30 April 2013}} 51 19 30 1 1
url=http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Records/WestIndies/International_Twenty20/Miscellaneous/Captains/Playing_Record_Captain_Overall.html |title=West Indies captains’ playing record in International Twenty20 matches |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=30 April 2013}} 21 12 7 1 1

Pakistan toured the West Indies in April and May 2011 for a T20I, five ODIs, and two Tests. In the first match of the Test series West Indies secured their first victory since 2009, ending a 17-match run without a win. Sammy took seven wickets in the match, including five in Pakistan’s second innings, and was named Man of the Match for his performance. West Indies lost the second match, drawing the series 1–1; Sammy was his team’s second-highest wicket-taker, claiming ten at an average of 17.90. The following month Sammy was named T20I player of the year at the West Indies Players Association awards. When India toured in June and July the West Indies lost the Test series 1–0. Cricinfo recorded that Sammy led with passion and "bowled his heart out"; he finished with seven wickets from three matches at an average of 38.28. While playing, Sammy had to deal with distractions from hostile crowds and pundits who criticised his appointment as captain as some believed he could not hold down a place as a player alone.

Initially named as captain until the end of the 2011 season, Sammy was retained as captain across all formats for the tours of Bangladesh and India. In October Sammy’s Grade B central contract was renewed; he was one of four players with a Grade B contract, the second highest category (Shivnarine Chanderpaul was the only player with a Grade A). Later that month, the West Indies toured Bangladesh. Sammy missed the first ODI through illness, but returned to captain the side in the remaining two. West Indies won the series 2–1 and Sammy took two wickets. The first Test was curtailed by rain and ended in a draw, and Sammy top-scored for his team. Having played 17 Tests, the innings of 58 runs from 43 balls was Sammy’s first half-century in the format. West Indies won the second Test to take the series, and in the process Sammy dismissed Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan to claim his 50th Test wicket.

Following on from the Bangladesh series, the West Indies moved on to India in November for three Tests and five ODIs. West Indies lost the Test series 2–0 and Sammy finished as his team’s highest wicket-taker with nine at an average of 34.77. In the ODI series, Sammy took a single wicket from 21.5 overs as West Indies succumbed to a 4–1 defeat. The West Indies faced Australia in a five-match ODI series in March 2012. Sammy’s team won the second match by five wickets, ending a series of 13 defeats against Australia that extended back to 2006. The West Indies entered the final match with a 2–1 lead and a chance to register their first series win against Australia since 1995. In the event Australia won by 30 runs, but the margin of victory was smaller than it would have been had Sammy not scored 84 runs from 50 deliveries, his highest score in the format and an effort for which he was named Man of the Match. In the Test series that followed, Sammy managed just five wickets from three matches at an average just above forty. As a batsman he was more successful, and was one of three West Indies batsmen to score more than 150 runs in the series. With the West Indies on 13/2 chasing 215 to win from 61 overs on the final day of the second Test, Sammy promoted himself up the batting order to number three to accelerate the scoring rate. He managed 30 not out from 26 deliveries before rain intervened and the match ended in a draw. West Indies lost the third Test by 75 runs to lose the series 2–0, but during his team’s chase of 370 to win on the final day Sammy scored his second Test half-century, 61 from 51 deliveries, bettering his previous highest Test score of 58.