West Indies world cup winning captain Darren Sammy is confident that Caribbean Premier League is going in the right way to become a strong tournament. The highly anticipated Caribbean Premier League is set to start next week.
In an exclusive interview to cplt20.com, Darren Sammy who has led West Indies to two T20 world cup triumphs can help the sport grow in the region with world class players like AB de Villiers, Shane Watson and others involved in it.
“The CPL is the biggest party in sport”, the 32-year-old said. “It’s not like any other tournament and when it comes to entertainment, there’s nothing like it. I have been lucky to have been a part of it for the last three years since its inception and CPL is renowned for its carnival atmosphere.
“But when you look across the squads and the recruitment across the board – with players like AB (de Villiers), Shakib (Al Hasan) and Brendon (McCullum) joining up this year – you know that it’s becoming a tournament that the top world players want to be a part of.”
The West Indies skipper also feels that their T20 triumph in India will inspire a new generation of players to play the game.
“It has been amazing to travel around the various islands over the past few weeks and see the joy on the kids’ faces. We always talk in the dressing-room about creating a new legacy for West Indies cricket and if a child dreams of becoming the next (Kieron) Pollard, (Dwayne) Bravo, (Chris) Gayle or (Andre) Russell, then we know that we’ll be on the right track. There’s a whole new level of interest locally which is great news.
“I got a phone call from an old school-friend of mine who said her son always dreamed of becoming a doctor, like his father. But since the West Indies team won (in India), he now wants to be a professional cricketer. Thousands of children across the Caribbean will now dream again about playing for the West Indies, like the older generations did in the past.
“It is a huge step in the right direction. If the CPL can continue to add to the excitement, and inspiring youngsters, then we know we’re going to be on to a winning formula,” added the 32-year old.
Darren Sammy also excited about CPL making its way into USA as the Central Broward Stadium in Fort Lauderdale welcomes all six teams from 28-31 July as the sport keeps on growing in the territory.
“Prior to the 2012 ICC WT20 trophy, the West Indies played New Zealand twice in Fort Lauderdale and it was a brilliant experience at the time. There are lots of people of Caribbean descent who have never had the opportunity to see their team play, so it’s great that all six teams will be playing this year.
“It will be a huge honour to lead out the Zouks in the USA because there’s a massive Caribbean community around there. I know there has been huge interest in tickets already and will be a chance for people to experience the carnival atmosphere live.
“Hopefully we’ll have bumper crowds there for our back-to-back games when we battle against the Tallawahs. I think what CPL is doing, by bringing professional cricket to the USA, can help lift barriers and extend the carnival from the Caribbean.”