"I would definitely not want to play a game in New York"- Daren Sammy on Nassau County pitch for the T20 World Cup
West Indies head coach and two-time T20 World Cup-winning captain, Daren Sammy wasn't impressed with the pitch on offer in New York for the showpiece event. He felt that it was a bit too challenging for the batters.
The Nassau County Cricket Club in New York saw several low-scoring games and batters being hit on their arms due to the variable bounce, drawing criticism from several cricket experts and fans around the world.
However, Daren Sammy was delighted to see the response that the game of cricket got in the United States. Here's what he told reporters after West Indies' loss to England in the Super Eight stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup on Thursday:
"I saw the pitch in the US and I would definitely not want to play a game in New York (laughs) I will tell you that. It was challenging for all the batters out there. But if you look at the bigger picture, the whole idea of the US and the Caribbean co-hosting was to broaden the game and what I saw in the US was encouraging. Obviously the USA team are in the Super 8 and that will grow the game, bring new fans from a new region."
Sammy explained that West Indies probably didn't play any game in the United States as they naturally had to play all their games at home being the co-hosts.
West Indies' destiny is in their own hands: Daren Sammy
West Indies received an absolute hammering at the hands of England in their Super Eight fixture in St. Lucia as Jos Buttler and Co. won the game by eight wickets chasing a target of 181 with 15 balls to spare.
However, Daren Sammy believes there are enough match-winners in the West Indies dugout to turn it around, win their next two games and qualify for the semifinals. He stated:
"Our main objective, everything that we have done from last year to prepare for this tournament, no one said it was going to be easy. There are some good teams in this tournament and we came up against the defending champions today and they got the better of us. But that doesn't mean our tournament is over. Our destiny is in our own hands."
West Indies captain Rovman Powell had echoed similar words about destiny being in their own hands while talking to the host broadcaster after the defeat. The West Indies will next face the USA in Barbados on June 22.