West Indies head coach Daren Sammy believes the Caribbean game is now paying for years of under-investment, even though past West Indies sides helped global cricket to flourish. Speaking two days before the second Test against India in Delhi, Sammy said the regional board now needs outside help to rebuild both talent and infrastructure after last week’s innings defeat in Ahmedabad.
“Look, [it’s] the history we bring, or the history we have, and the legacy we have left on this game in all formats,” Sammy said. “Obviously the way we play now, everybody will lean towards that. But if we take that aside, and understand the impact that the West Indies team have had in international cricket, I think all what we ask for, we deserve.”
The former captain pointed out that, in the 1970s through to the 1990s, West Indies tours drew crowds and television audiences in much the same way India do today. Yet, he argues, the financial rewards never flowed back into the Caribbean.
“You know you speak to so many other teams. The inspiration that Vivian Richards’ team had, or the impact it had, even here in India, the impact these guys had on the next generation, West Indies contributed to that,” he said. “I remember watching [West Indies playing] five Test-match series [around the world]. It’s like India now. Everybody wants India to tour, because that’s where the financial gains are. India brings that to the home territory. That was West Indies in the past.”
“But we did not reap those financial rewards. We were playing five Test matches, three-four months in one place, entertaining the world, where other parts benefited. So for now, when we, over the years, whether it be through lack of management, whatever it is, we are in need of those financial resources to help us grow and move forward, I think we deserve that. Because of the impact we’ve had.”
Calls for ICC and member boards to assist West Indies financially intensified after the side collapsed inside three days in Ahmedabad. Critics argue that each board must first look after its own affairs. Sammy counters that a healthy West Indies set-up benefits the wider game by protecting the longest format’s competitive balance.
Former fast bowler Ian Bishop told local radio this week that the current situation is “as serious as anything I’ve seen since the late nineties”, adding that meaningful change will require “long-term planning, proper facilities and honest conversations about pay”.
Sammy agrees facilities need urgent attention. Training wickets across several islands are “nowhere near” international standard, he noted, while state funding for age-group cricket has dwindled. The result is a shrinking pool of red-ball specialists and growing reliance on players shaped mainly by franchise T20 cricket.
“For me as a coach, when I call a player and I tell him that he has been selected for West Indies, and I’m hoping that he accepts the selection, that tells us where our cricket is,” Sammy said. “As a kid, I remember in 2004, me being at Lord’s, MCC Young Cricketers, and getting a call. Once I saw the area code 1268, I knew it was from Antigua, I was hoping it was a”
His voice trailed off, but the point landed: Test caps no longer guarantee excitement or financial security for emerging Caribbean cricketers.
India, by contrast, continue to reap sponsorship and broadcast riches. “They have earned that strength and leverage,” said former West Indies opener Philo Wallace. “But history shows we carried the game during another era. The question now is whether the global game wants West Indies to keep competing meaningfully.”
Sammy’s immediate concern is how his inexperienced bowlers respond on a traditionally slow Feroz Shah Kotla surface. He hinted that left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie could return if fully fit, while quick Shamar Joseph might debut after impressive net sessions. “Work ethic is non-negotiable,” he stressed, arguing that preparation is the one area in which resources cannot be used as an excuse.
Even so, the wider structural issues will remain once the series is over. West Indies Cricket Board officials confirmed they have opened dialogue with the ICC about targeted funding tied to facility upgrades and a streamlined domestic schedule, but no formal proposal has been submitted.
Analyst Fazeer Mohammed believes compromise on both sides is possible. “There’s sympathy for West Indies, but other boards also face their own costs. A ring-fenced development grant could be the middle ground.”
For now, Sammy wants a competitive showing in Delhi to demonstrate that, despite the cracks, fight still runs through West Indies cricket. “People forget we beat England in 2022 and drew in Australia last year,” he said. “The talent is there—just stretched.”
India lead the two-match series 1-0. The second Test begins on Friday.
