Outrage over Darren Sammy T20 sacking as fans protest outside stadium

St. Lucia: A flock of Darren Sammy supporters gathered outside the Darren Sammy Cricket Stadium on Tuesday expressing their disappointment over the player`s recent sacking as the West Indies T20 skipper.

The fans were seen holding placards as they vent out their anger towards the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), its president Dave Cameron and chief selector Courtney Browne.

Lashing out at the WICB, Anju Yadihins, one of the supporters, said that the board is consist of bunch of fools, who could not see the contribution that Sammy had put in for the Caribbean side.

"I believe that WICB is bunch of fools as they have taken a decision like this. Basically, I am not a lover of cricket, but I am Darren Sammy`s true fan. I believe he had contributed a lot for the West Indies cricket. He led them to two consecutive victories in World T20. And I think it was a form of disrespect. I think the move was revenge by these so called selectors. We St. Lucians are supposed to take a stand and show the entire world that we will support him. If a guy is a good captain and he gave you two championship victories. Then it is insane. And I think the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) will get a strong message from our protest," Yadihins said.

"Yes, Darren might have had couple of bad days, where he gave some bad performances. But recently, in the CPL in Caribbean, Sammy did very well. It is disrespectful for St. Lucians. They say we have one of the best grounds and the Stadium is also being renamed after the guy," he added.

Meanwhile, Joiceyn Daniels, the other St. Lucian protester, also expressed her discontent with the treatment that the former West Indies T20 skipper had received.

"We are here today to stand in support of Darren Sammy because we feel he was treated badly and in one of the most disrespectful way by just receiving a 30-second call. A man who brought up two World Cups for you, that is the way you turn back and treat him? We are not pleased with the treatment he had received. We are not saying that he should get the captaincy back, but we are saying that at least he should remain in the squad. Sammy actually gelled the team. All the commentators and all the people who follow West Indies Cricket and cricket legends would see what Sammy did for that side, except the WICB. And we are here to show our displeasure," she said.

Last week, Sammy, who recently led the Caribbean side to World T20 glory, had revealed that he had been sacked from the post of the skipper in a 30-seconds telephonic conversation with the head of the selectors.

Posting an emotional video on his Facebook page, the 32-year-old had said "I got a call yesterday, it was probably 30 seconds, from the chairman of selectors telling me that they`ve reviewed the captaincy of T20 and I won`t be captain anymore of the T20 team, and my performances have not merited selection in the squad," Sammy revealed in a video.

All-rounder Carlos Brathwaite was later named as a replacement of Sammy, who was also axed from the two Twenty 20 matches against India in Florida on August 27 and 28.