It's like cancer: Coach Sammy on West Indies' decline over the years

NEW DELHI: West Indies coach Daren Sammy called the team's decline over the years to that as cancer. "It's like a cancer," he said in a pre match press conference ahead of the second Test against India, scheduled to begin in the city from Friday. "It's already in the system." Sammy, part of the last great Caribbean outfit albeit in the T20 set-up, was also intimate with the challenges they currently face. He also said it was unacceptable to see other teams out-working the West Indies, irrespective of the financial situation. "You don't need talent to work hard," he said in a message aimed at the players. Excerpts from the interaction:

On the West Indies team right now

I see some of the guys lack confidence and it's something that has to come from within. But with a lack of performances, it's always hard to rise above that. My job is to continue to instil that in the way we practice, in the way we think, the way we plan and strategise. I was just telling someone the conversations we had after the Test. I really need a conscious effort from them to train better. I expect some sort of improvement. At least in the way you think. It's all gloomy and doom. And when you see the sunburst through the clouds, it brings a good mood. I thought the way we practiced today, I saw a difference. So it means the conversations that we had after the first Test (it had an impact). After the Test, I asked and challenged every single person to speak on what needs to be done for this team to be successful and competitive. The guys spoke about the things they need to do.

On the decline

I know now I'm under the microscope. We are open to criticism but the root of the problem didn't start two years ago. It started way back. It's like a cancer, it's already in the system. If you get cancer, you know what happens. Our problems don't lie on the surface. It's rooted deep in our system. We will continue to change. The immediate thing is to try and encourage the guys. Train better, better mindset and all these things.

On his message to the ICC on the proposed two-tier system

The history we bring and the legacy we have left in all formats... Obviously the way we are playing now, everybody would lean towards that (demoting the West Indies to the second tier). But if we take that aside and understand the impact West Indies has had in international cricket, we deserve all what we ask for. (Back in the glory days), when we were entertaining the world, we did not reap those financial rewards. We are now in need of those financial rewards to help us grow, to help us move forward and I think we deserve that because of the impact we have had.

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