Colombo: Darren Sammy, the ever-smiling West Indies captain, spoke to the media in general and, later, to The Telegraph exclusively on Thursday afternoon.
The following are excerpts
Thoughts on the eve of the World Twenty20 semi-final against Australia...
We’re backing ourselves... It should be an exciting match and, hopefully, we’ll come out on top... We’ve been treating it (the World Twenty20) as a 100-metre hurdles... We have two hurdles to overcome.
Australia having won the group league match on the D/L Method...
That was an unfortunate situation.
Yuvraj Singh having tipped the West Indies to make the final...
It’s good to hear that... Generally, after their own team, the Indians support the West Indies... I’m thankful to Yuvi.
If the West Indies have been playing to potential...
We haven’t been playing our A game, but have still reached the semi-final... We have an opportunity to do so on Friday and, if we make the final, then on Sunday as well. We’ve got to play our A game... Once we play to potential, once everybody clicks, we will be a (more) destructive force.
On what could make the difference...
A special catch... Guys in the middle making the right decisions... Look, the West Indies and Australia are evenly matched teams. I do believe that the team which executes its plans better will win. To be that team, we’ve got to play our A game.
The Chris Gayle factor...
But it’s not only about Chris, who gives us the momentum... Sure, one or two players may produce that something extra, but it will have to be a team effort... A collective effort.
Response from the players...
When people think we’re down and out, somebody has raised his hand to get us over the line. If it comes to that, it will be the same on Friday as well.
No.1 reason for the West Indies getting thus far...
Hard work and self-belief... We know we can perform and compete... We’ve instilled a positive, can-do attitude in our set-up. As I’ve said, we haven’t been producing our best game, but still are in the semi-final. We’ve come thus far, it’s all about going further. We’d like to win for our fans back home... If we do, the win will be dedicated to
them... Cricket unites the Caribbean.
The unity within...
It’s one team and it has one mission — to win the World Twenty20. One people, one team, one goal... The more you work together, the better you become and the more you achieve.
We’ve been doing well, but there’s always room for improvement.
Performing the role once played by the late Sir Frank Worrell and Clive Lloyd...
Oh, I’m not in their league... Definitely not... However, I’m doing the best I can... I and my team take pride in playing for the West Indies.
If his team has drawn inspiration from the stellar show by athletes from the Caribbean in the London Olympics...
Of course... The coach (Ottis Gibson) even mentioned it during our build-up for this tournament. Athletes from Jamaica may have made the biggest headlines, but there was rejoicing across the West Indies... Everybody took pride in their performances... This is another step for us as a Caribbean team, to bring more smiles on the faces of people back home.
The West Indies women, too, making the semi-final and facing Australia...
I’d like the women to set the trend for us by winning their semi-final... We could follow suit!
Finally, on Yuvraj having battled cancer...
(Emotionally) I’m very happy for Yuvi... Very happy at the way he has come back, it has been remarkable... I wish him well in the future.
ALSO READ:
Got to play our 'A' game: Sammy
"Once we play to potential, once everybody clicks, we will be a (more) destructive force," he said.
By Lokendra Pratap Sahi | The Telegraph – Fri 5 Oct, 2012 9:49 AM IST
Latest Photos
Featured Interactives
MORE TOP STORIES TODAY
[ROUND-UP]: 'More teams involved' | The Bollywood connection | ICL origins to fixing tale More » IPL Spot Fixing: Chennai CEO set to be grilled
Royals will meet Mumbai Indian in the second qualifier. More » Hodge blinder floors Sunrisers in IPL eliminator
He facilitated others in Bollywood in placing bets with bookies he knew. More » Vindoo spills the beans on Bollywood
Result: embarrassment in one dressing room, and one set of flabbergasted bookies. More » A T20 match both teams wanted to lose
On the eve of the last edition of the Champions Trophy, set to begin within a week in England, Indian cricket is again mired in the fixing controversy. More » Will 'Champions' win back the fans?
Sachin Tendulkar will not take further part in the Indian Premier League owing to an injury on his left hand, his team Mumbai Indians said Wednesday. More » Tendulkar out of IPL with hand injury
David Warner regretted not keeping a lid on his outrage but maintained he had to defend himself after his image was used in a report condemning the IPL. More » Warner defends self for Twitter rant
Sports minister Jitendra Singh, however, wants that there should be certain minimum level of transparency and accountability that federations like the Indian cricket board need to ensure. More » Government wants BCCI to be transparent
Was Sreesanth planning to start betting houses in India and abroad? More » Revealed: Sreesanth's betting company
The BCCI blamed Sahara Adventure Sports Limited for the failure of the arbitration and said it "cannot be held responsible" for the breakdown of the process. More » Sahara to blame for arbitration failure
New Zealand's Daniel Vettori is on the verge of making a dramatic return to Test cricket as the Black Caps bid for a series-levelling win against England at Headingley. More » Vettori set for dramatic Test recall
England will look to seal a series win over New Zealand in the second and final test starting at Headingley on Friday before turning their attention to Australia in July. More » England eye NZ Test series win
Usman Khawaja says he is desperate to emerge from the periphery and consolidate a regular spot in the Australian team for this year's Ashes series against England. More » Khawaja looks to nail down Test spot
Coach Stephen Fleming credited his Chennai Super Kings' success to correct team selection and the loyalty the franchise has shown to the players. More » 'Selection key to Chennai's success'
It is his role in keeping some dubious cricketers suspected of match fixing outside the team. More » The feat Sachin never got praise for
New Zealand's Neil Wagner said Wednesday he wanted to make England's batsmen "hate him" and "get in their face" as the Black Caps look to square the Test series with victory at Headingley. More » Wagner wants England to 'hate him'
Joe Root said England would look to carry on from where they left off against New Zealand at Lord's during the second Test at his Headingley home ground. More » 'England can build on Lord's success'
Australian batsman David Warner was Wednesday found guilty of breaching Cricket Australia's code of behaviour over a Twitter tirade at two journalists and fined Aus$5,750 (US$5,608). More » David Warner fined for Twitter outburst
Chennai defeat Mumbai by 48 runs in the first Qualifier at Kotla. More » Kings boss their way to fifth IPL final
LEEDS, United Kingdom, May 22, 2013 (AFP) - New Zealand wicketkeeper BJ Watling was ruled out Wednesday of the second and final Test against England at Headingley starting Friday. More » New Zealand's Watling out of second Test
COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka left-arm fast bowler Chanaka Welegedara has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy starting in England and Wales next month with an ankle injury. Welegedara will be replaced … More » Welegedara out of Champions Trophy
By Nick Mulvenney SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia are rightly underdogs for the upcoming Ashes series in England but will do everything they can to bring the coveted urn back home, skipper Michael Clarke … More » Underdogs ready for Ashes scrap: Clarke
New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Pune Warriors India, owned by Sahara India Pariwar, pulled out of the already scandal-hit Indian Premier League (IPL) Tuesday and announced that they will not renew their sponsorship … More » Sahara pulls out of IPL
India's apex court asks the Board to clean up the gentleman's game. More » Supreme Court raps 'lackadaisical' BCCI
One of the SunRisers' key bowlers, Ishant was nowhere to be seen and team officials said he was still down with fever. More » Ishant doubtful for win-or-go home clash
Starting off as the team's first-choice wicketkeeper, a string of poor performances with the bat saw Patel being dropped. More » Parthiv glad to have peaked at right time
New Delhi, May 22 -- More than 13 years after he headed the probe into match-fixing in cricket, former Indian Police Service officer Ravi N Sawani has been approached by the Board of Control for Cricket … More » BCCI falls back on tried and tested Sawani
Imran, who has been fitted with a spinal brace to aid recovery, fell from a fork-lift taking him to a poll campaign podium on May 7. More » Imran Khan discharged from hospital
[SPOT-FIXING ROUND-UP] Actor Vindoo Dara Singh arrested. More » Court extends Sreesanth's custody
Clarke has thrown his support behind Warner, saying he could still captain Australia despite facing a disciplinary hearing over a Twitter rant. More » Warner has Clarke's backing
England named an unchanged squad for the second Test against New Zealand at Headlingley, after batsman Ian Bell and spin bowler Graeme Swann both overcame illness. More » Bell, Swann fit for second NZ Test
He might be a bad boy, but he wasn’t a bad bowler. More » Let down by his own character
Corruption in cricket is as old as the apathy of the sport's administrators. More » [VOX] Crime and lack of punishment
DUBLIN, May 22, 2013 (AFP) - Pakistan are keener than ever to get back on the field for the first of two one-day internationals against Ireland on Thursday after their second ODI against Scotland on the … More » Cricket: Pakistan raring to go against Ireland
Sir Ian Botham is confident James Anderson will far exceed his England record of 383 Test wickets after the Lancashire seamer broke the 300 barrier during last week's series-opening victory over New Zealand … More » Botham backs Jimmy to break his record
New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Hit by the recent spot-fixing scandal, the Rajasthan Royals will have to come out strong to take on the impressive Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) eliminator … More » Shaken Royals take on rising Hyderabad
When the two face each other in Qualifier 1 of the Indian T20 league on Tuesday, with a spot in the final the reward for the winner, the rivalry will demand a lot more than usual. More » More than just spot in the final
Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma doesn't want his team to get distracted by the spot-fixing controversy in the Indian Premier League. More » Focus is on playing good cricket: Rohit
"The feeling is quite similar as no one gave the SunRisers a chance in the tournament, and we have qualified for the playoffs" More » 'Hyderabad's success reminds me of 1983'
It seems Rajasthan Royals, caught in the middle of the spot-fixing scandal involving three of their players, want to stay away from the spotlight as much as possible. More » Rajasthan feel heat ahead of playoff
Cricket Australia said Tuesday it had no immediate plan to curb the use of social media by players after a Twitter rant by David Warner, but suggested it could happen in the future. More » Australia don't plan on Twitter clampdown
Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming said it was disappointing that spot fixing has overshadowed the IPL but hoped that the tournament would finish on a winning note. More » 'Corruption shadow over IPL's good work'
SG Test balls may be used for Ranji Trophy and junior tournaments. More » Kumble moots neutral venues, SG balls
"The contracts of all three players have been suspended pending enquiry," a team statement said. "We have already filed a complaint with the Delhi Police against all three players." More » Rajasthan suspend tainted players
Sensational revelations may be fine but the police needs solid evidence to prove the charges against ricketers arrested for spot-fixing to secure their conviction in court. More » Delhi cops face challenge in building case