St. Lucia to rename Beausejour Stadium in honour of Darren Sammy

Sammy was the first cricketer to represent West Indies from St. Lucia when he made his One-Day International (ODI) debut against Bangladesh in the ICC Champions Trophy in 2004. Wicketkeeper-batsman, Johnson Charles, the other St. Lucian cricketer in the West Indies camp, will have a stand named in his honour. He also will be presented with a plot of land.

“The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) would like to congratulate West Indies captain, Darren Sammy and opener, Johnson Charles for the honour their home country St. Lucia has bestowed on them,” the board said in a statement, issued from their St John’s headquarters in Antigua.

“I am truly honoured, I am humbled and blessed,” Sammy said. “Thank you, we always know St. Lucians love their own and the love and respect and admiration I have just received at the airport, oh my God, thank you very much”.

However, after piloting West Indies to their second WT20 title, Sammy criticised the board for lack of support. Sammy’s statement came in the backdrop of the WICB and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) being involved in a bitter pay dispute just before the commencement of the showpiece T20 event.

On his part, Dave Cameron, the WICB president, retorted by saying that Sammy’s comments were ‘inappropriate’. Cameron noted that the board would discuss with the players after the Indian Premier League (IPL) in an attempt to address their concerns. “We want to see how we can find common ground in ensuring that the best players in the region are available for selection for West Indies teams,” Cameron concluded.