Gibson says ‘attitude’ influenced leadership appointments

Oct 21, 2010 Sports

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New West Indies skipper Daren Sammy (left) along with Coach Otis Gibson (centre) and V/Captain Brendan Nash at yesterday’s press conference in Jamaica. (Sean Devers Photo)

By Sean Devers in Jamaica
In association with Jamaica Pegasus

West Indies Head Coach Barbadian Otis Gibson said yesterday that their positive attitudes and commitment to West Indies cricket influenced the decision to appoint 26-year-old Darren Sammy and 32-year-old Brendan Nash as West Indies Captain and Vice-Captain respectively.
The 41-year-old Gibson who played 2 Tests between 1995 and 1999 and 15 ODIs for the West Indies, was speaking at a press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus ahead of next month’s West Indies tour to Sri Lanka.
Outside of the region, Gibson has played for Glamorgan, Staffordshire, and three South African provincial sides and this will be his third trip to Sri Lanka after serving as the bowling Coach for England’s Sri Lanka tour in 2007.
He said any team finds it very difficult to beat Sri Lanka at home and explained that the object of this series is two-fold. “Teams find it difficult in Sri Lanka and the weather will be very hot and humid with long drives to grounds especially when we play outside of Colombo. We head to Sri Lanka with two things in mind. To play hard and be competitive but more importantly to start the process of moving West Indies cricket forward as a team,” Gibson said.
“This is the beginning of a new phase of West Indies cricket and some tough decisions have been made by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). I think our cricket needed those decisions at this time if we really want to see progress,” the Coach explained.Gibson said that attitude and fitness will play crucial roles in the selection of present West Indies teams and disclosed that at the end of the Regional One-Day tournament this weekend, a fitness assessment exercise will be held for the players in the squad to Sri Lanka to ascertain their fitness levels and check for injuries the players might be carrying.
“In the past we have had players go on tours with injuries and we (WICB) are very serious about fitness now. We have not been getting results and the senior players in the side now have a huge job on hand showing leadership to the younger ones,” Gibson added.
The Barbadian, who gave up the English Coaching job after 2 years to take up the West Indies appointment in January, said that one of the reasons the team has not been doing well was because the batsmen have not been able to consistently put big scores on the board or bat for more than a day. He also feels a lack of passion and commitment has contributed in the regional team’s poor run.
“We saw things were not working and had to make changes. The foundation of West Indies cricket was built on passion and we have seen that Sammy always plays with passion and pride and is a good leader. This is the type of person we were looking for to lead us in this the new phase of West Indies cricket,” Gibson pointed out.
He said that the WICB is looking forward to seeing this same kind of positive leadership from Sammy as he takes the helm of the West Indies team. Sammy and his Vice-Captain have been named for just the Test series but it is understood that the St Lucian should also be appointed Skipper for the ODI and T20 sides.
The ODI side will soon be selected and Gibson explained that the One-day players who are not in the Test side will travel to Sri Lanka during the final Test to settle into the conditions there. The first ODI starts five days after the completion of the last Test.
Gibson also said the professionalism that Nash (who averages 37.4 with 2 tons and 2 fifties from 15 Tests since his debut in New Zealand in 2008) brings from his Australian upbringing and his dedication to fitness and hard work was also taken into consideration when he was appointed Vice-Captain.
“We want Sammy to enjoy his game and to lead with the same passion that has brought him success for the Windward’s.
We have told him to be himself and not let the responsibility of leadership change his lively personality. It’s important that the whole team gel and form a ‘tight’ unit, especially in places like Sri Lanka,” Gibson informed.
Sammy, the first St Lucian to play Test cricket, has scored 2 fifties and taken 31 wickets from 43 ODIs since his debut in 2004. He has however been in and out of the Test team and averages 19.4 with the bat and 27.4 (27 wkts) with the ball in his 8 Tests he played between June 2007 and December 2009.
Sammy who is very religious and recently got married said he is ‘honored and delighted’ to be named Captain.
“As a little boy I dreamt of playing for the West Indies but never dreamt of being Captain. I pledge to do my best to continue this long legacy and I intend to seek advice from past successful Captains like Clive Lloyd and Sir Vivian Richards.
I will give it my best and do the job with dignity,” said Sammy who is hoping to lead the Windward Islands to only their 3rd Regional title on Sunday.
Sammy says the assistance of the senior players will be critical for success as a team. “Chris (Gayle) has publicly said he will help and support me and I am confident the senior players will all play their part as we rebuild,” Sammy said.
“My biggest challenge will be to get the results our fans want. We have not been doing too well over the last few years and this team has to start showing a fighting spirit.
This (good results) will not happen overnight but we need to work hard and show commitment and improvement,” the energetic All-rounder stressed.
“It’s going to be tough but I don’t think I can be on a cricket field and not show fight and passion despite whatever is happening.
I need to bring everyone with me in that regard and (Dwayne) Bravo is a player who I will depend on a lot in getting the guys in that positive mindset since like me, he enjoys his cricket and plays with lots of passion and energy,” Sammy added.
The new Skipper said that if everyone is enjoying what they do and understand what it means to the fans and you are in an environment in which everyone if fighting for the same goal it makes captaincy easier.
“I have entrusted this captaincy to God. I know that God never puts his children in any position that he knows they cannot handle and I have prayed for the strength and wisdom to be a good leader.
God is in charge and once we can all work together I am confident we could be competitive in Sri Lanka,” the very likable Sammy opined.
Despite the presence of the dependable Shiv Chanderpaul, former Skipper Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, the team is a relatively young one and Gibson singled out Daren Bravo, Devon Thomas and Andre Russell as young players to watch.

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