T20 has been great for cricket – Sammy
FOR two of the world game’s most destructive performers, Shahid Afridi and Darren Sammy are exhibiting admirable patience as they’re mobbed by school children at the home of Emsworth Cricket Club, near Portsmouth.
Both men know what it’s like to win a World Twenty20 – Afridi with Pakistan in 2009 and Sammy with West Indies back in April – but global domination couldn’t be further from their thoughts as they sign shirts, bats and anything else the kids can get their hands on.
Sammy even turns his arm over – immediately seeing his long hop despatched over the square-leg boundary (some ten metres away) for six. “It’s Carlos Brathwaite all over again,” he says.
Both men have been brought in by Hampshire to attempt to secure a first T20 Blast title since 2012 and both arrive with considerable reputations in the game’s shortest format. They will, though, find themselves with a fair amount of time on their hands, with matches being played once a week rather than the block format favoured by many players and used in many tournaments throughout the world.
“That’s one concern,” says Afridi. “I think it should be a separate competition between one day and four day – as it is there’s only one game a week, whereas it could be done in 25 days.
“That said, it’s always a great occasion for me to be over here, playing in England, playing with some young cricketers. I’ll keep myself busy between games, don’t worry. I’ll do my training, I’ll be practising and trying to find some matches to play in too.”
It feels more like March than May on the South Coast but, five months into the year, Sammy has already enjoyed one to remember, having led West Indies to victory over England in the World T20 final in Kolkata.
He’s put the time since to good use, travelling back to the Caribbean to use West Indies’ win as a tool to promote a sport that many feared was in danger of dying in a region that had previously dominated the game.
And the ever-smiling Sammy has plenty of reasons to be cheerful as he dutifully poses for pictures under leaden Hampshire skies.
“It’s great to have a day like this,” he says. “I’ll go around the schools in St Lucia whenever I get the chance back home because, let’s face it, kids are the future of the game.
“It has been crazy in the Caribbean since we won it. Crazy, absolutely crazy. I’ve enjoyed every single moment of it. Unlike some of my team-mates who haven’t really had a chance to go home because they’ve played in the IPL, I’ve been back to the school, done some motivational speaking and taken the trophy back to the people.
“I did say that the cup was for the Caribbean people and I did that in St Lucia. It has been amazing. There’s a real buzz in the Caribbean at the moment and that’s just fantastic to see.”
There will be a similar buzz at Uxbridge on Friday night when Afridi takes to the field for the first match of Hampshire’s T20 campaign against Middlesex. Sammy is not in the squad due to registration regulations but will be back for the clash against Kent on June 2.
Like the scheduling of the tournament, the 20-over game has its critics, with many believing that it’s gradually eroding tradition. Afridi, though, believes it’s a blessing rather than a curse.
“It’s a format that easily brings in crowds each and every game,” he says. “T20 has changed cricket. It has changed Test cricket, it has changed one-day cricket. It’s a great format. Don’t forget there’s a lot of people who aren’t interested in cricket, who don’t want to sit down for a whole day and watch the sport.
“T20 is the best format to introduce people to the sport everywhere and anywhere in the world.”
Sammy would doubtless agree with that, having witnessed at first hand the rehabilitative impact it has had on cricket in the Caribbean, particularly given that West Indies’ women also won their World T20 in India this year.
Throw in West Indies U19s’ World Cup victory, also in India, and it’s easy to see why Sammy is hopeful rather than fearful.
“For cricket those three world titles were massive,” he says. “Three world titles at different levels was an incredible achievement. It shows that we have what it takes to be successful in the Caribbean. It’s now for the people in charge to have the proper structural development in place for us to continue being successful.
“We need coaches, we need our young players to have the technical aspects of their game in place at a young age to help nurture them and prepare them, not just for the shorter formats but also for Test cricket too.
“For the last two decades we thought we were going to produce the [Brian] Laras and the [Curtly] Ambroses. That hasn’t been the case. It’s going to take time. The reality is that T20 cricket is our strong point now. We need to introduce youngsters who are going to continue to learn.”
The likes of Mason Crane and Tom Alsop will hope that they undergo a similar educational process in the presence of the two T20 greats this summer.
With Hampshire having reached finals day in seven of the past nine years, they’ll also be hoping to add to their two T20 titles this summer.
“I’m coming into an environment that’s successful,” says Sammy. “I just want to have an impact with my performances obviously but also as a leader. I want to pass on my experience to the team as well, taking part and taking the team a step further this year. I can wait for the season to start.”
Afridi shares his confidence. “I think we can be successful this season,” he says. “There’s some real talent in this side and I can’t wait to get started.”