Source: Trinidad & Tobago Daily Express
West Indies head coach Daren Sammy is not surprised by Nicholas Pooran’s decision to retire from international cricket, stressing that the choice is a personal one and beyond his control.
Sammy, speaking during a post-match interaction following the West Indies’ T20 loss to England yesterday, said he felt that such an announcement was coming when he spoke to Pooran about his availability ahead of the England series.
He said the decision was Pooran’s to make, and the team is already looking ahead and planning for life without the Trinidad and Tobago T20 star.
Pooran, 29, announced his retirement from international cricket on Monday, leaving a significant void in the West Indies’ T20 setup, especially with the next World Cup less than a year away.
“No, I’m not surprised,” Sammy said yesterday. “I said something to the guys in the dressing room– well, in the team meeting today– we don’t have control. It’s up to each individual.”
Sammy said the desire and passion to represent the West Indies is not something that can be forced on players, but something that must be felt by every individual who wears the maroon colours.
“It is up to us, each individual, to understand what the brand means and come out and play a brand that those people that come and travel three hours to watch you play, because of what the it means to them—it’s up to each player to go out and put in that type of passion out there,” he explained.
“I could only speak about it, but I can’t force anybody to do it. So just like I can’t tell anybody when to call time on their career or when to play for West Indies, it’s a personal choice.”
While he would have preferred to see Pooran continue in West Indies colours, Sammy said he had already begun to consider the possibility of a future without the regional side’s most experienced T20 player.
“So yes, I mean, I was hoping that it didn’t happen, but in my mind, I was already planning that we may have a T20 team without him in our programme,” Sammy intimated.
“I’m pretty sure more will follow in that direction. I would not be surprised. That’s the way T20 cricket is now, and especially coming from the West Indies—the challenges that we face, trying to keep our players motivated to play for the regional side. So, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
The head coach noted that Pooran’s decision was not about simply choosing franchise cricket over international duty, but about a player’s responsibility to himself and his family.
“I don’t think I’m in a position to say he chose franchise (over West Indies cricket). I think Nicholas Pooran is a professional with a responsibility to himself, to his family, to the people he represents,” Sammy explained. “Like I said, ideally, a talent like that, I would love to have him in the team, but I don’t control, nor could I control anybody’s careers. I have a job to select from performance, from promise, from all these things.”
Sammy also revealed that he had spoken with Pooran and that the team has no choice now but to move on without the player. He also thinks the left-hander’s decision came early enough to give the side time to plan for a future without him.
“Nicholas, I mean, he’ll be missed, but it’s not a decision that I had control over,” Sammy reiterated. “We had a couple of conversations; I wished him well, and he wished the team well.
“And again, we are trying to move on now in terms of planning a game plan without Nicholas Pooran and with a World Cup coming ahead, I think what I could say is I respect the fact that he told us early enough so we have more time to plan without him.”