Sammy slams West Indies spinners after ODI series defeat to Bangladesh
Very poor
DHAKA: West Indies head coach Daren Sammy did not hold back his criticism of his bowlers following the team’s 2-1 series loss to Bangladesh in the three-match ODI series.
Sammy expressed disappointment over his spinners’ failure to exploit conditions that heavily favoured them, describing the pitches as “dark, cracked, and offering variable bounce.” Bangladesh’s spinners completely outclassed their West Indian counterparts, taking 27 wickets at an average of 14.66 and an economy rate of 3.80. In contrast, West Indies spinners managed only 18 wickets at an average of 30.05 and an economy rate of 4.39. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie and allrounder Roston Chase struggled throughout the series, while even part-timer Alick Athanaze produced better figures than them in the second ODI.
Returning spinners Khary Pierre and Akeal Hosein, however, showed improvement — with Hosein’s four-wicket haul in the third ODI standing out as the lone bowling highlight for the visitors. “The positive in the ODI series was probably the batting of Shai Hope — how he continues to put the team on his back every time he faces a challenge,” Sammy said. “He is a leader. But I am really disappointed in the way we bowled. You come to Bangladesh and you know spinners should be licking their lips. The conditions were ideal, but what we displayed over the last three games was very poor and inconsistent.”
Despite his frustration, Sammy acknowledged that home advantage plays an important role in international cricket. “I always want to ask for home advantage,” he added. “I can’t tell Bangladesh what wickets to prepare. My job is to make sure my team has the skillset to handle any conditions. Bangladesh did what they had to do to win at home — that’s what matters. But I felt my players just didn’t perform well throughout the series.”
Sammy also voiced concern over West Indies’ poor fielding effort, admitting that the team underperformed in all areas. “We were poor in all three disciplines,” he said. “I think we dropped six catches, two didn’t go to hand and one was too wide. Overall, we were below par.”
On a brighter note, Sammy praised Akeal Hosein’s strong comeback. Returning to the ODI setup after two years, Hosein impressed with six wickets in two games at an average of 13.66 and an economy rate of 4.10. “Massive kudos to Akeal for the way he came back,” Sammy said. “In a team with three left-arm spinners, for someone out of the side for two years to return and outperform them — that’s what you want. Healthy competition keeps players sharp, and Akeal’s performance will definitely put pressure on others to raise their game.” Web Desk
