Sammy the best person to lead Windies - Butts

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Chairman of the West Indies selection committee, Clyde Butts, says all-rounder Darren Sammy, at the moment, is the most suitable person to captain the West Indies, and this weighed heavily in their handing him the post for the team's upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.

According to Butts, Sammy, since making his entry into regional cricket, has demonstrated that he has what it takes to lead, and with West Indies cricket at a crossroads, he was the ideal candidate to take the team forward.

"When we looked at it, Darren Sammy has captained the West Indies 'A' team before. He led the team against England and other leading countries, and we had seen him for some time now as a future leader," said Butts, shortly after it was officially announced that Sammy would captain the West Indies over the duration of the next year, beginning with the team's tour of Sri Lanka next month.

"There was much debate as to who would captain, but in the end the West Indies selectors and the West Indies Cricket Board's (WICB) chief executive officer and the board decided that Darren Sammy is the best person to lead us for probably the next year or two."

gayle, bravo left out

The 26-year-old Sammy, who has been in and out of the West Indies team since making his Test debut in 2004, was chosen ahead of Chris Gayle, who declined to sign a retainer contract with the WICB for the 2010-2011 season.

Gayle, who also plies his trade in Australia and India domestic Twenty20 competitions, was one of three players not to sign the contract, with his former deputy, Dwayne Bravo, and Twenty20 batting star Kieron Pollard being the others.

Gayle and Bravo, however, have been included in the West Indies squad for Sri Lanka.

Australia-born Jamaican bats-man, Brendan Nash, will be Sammy's vice-captain in Tests, while his one-day international deputy will be announced following the conclusion of ongoing WICB 50-over tournament.

Said Butts: "What guided us in making our decision is that the WICB has put out on its website a plan which details where it wants to be over the next three to five years, and we think Darren Sammy has shown that he is level-headed, educated and hard-working, and has the ability to lead us to achieve what we want to achieve."

The West Indies will play three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 international on their tour of Sri Lanka, which commences on November 15.

'Darren Sammy has captained the West Indies 'A' team before. He led the team against England and other leading countries, and we had seen him for some time now as a future leader.'