West Indies head coach Daren Sammy said he had urged his players to finish the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle on a high, insisting that strong performances would put them in a better position to negotiate with the board.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) recently announced a series of sweeping measures aimed at addressing what it described as a financial, developmental and competitive crisis, including a 25% cut in international players’ retainer fees.
Cricbuzz understands that West Indies players are yet to sign their national contracts. However, Sammy said the issue was not a concern in the dressing room at the moment, with his focus on ensuring the team performs well enough to be in a stronger position at the negotiating table.
“No, if you look at the way we played in the India series when the news (about the pay cut) was put to the players and how they responded in that India series shows the drive, the passion, the willingness to help turn around West Indies cricket,” said Sammy. “I think there’s reality and there’s understanding where you are as a professional, as a board, and there’s no secret where we are obviously financially.
“My word to the guys, especially this Test Championship, you finish in the top five there’s extra incentives. ICC has invested a lot of money in the World Test Championships in terms of prize money, and it’s an opportunity for our boys to come up from the number eight that we’ve finished in the last two cycles. So I don’t think it’s a conversation that’s in the dressing room now but we are aware.
“And what I’ve challenged the guys to do is to put ourselves in a better position to negotiate and attract sponsors by the performances we put on the field. And I thought the white-ball teams did that extremely well in India and hopefully we could do that as a red-ball team here in Bangladesh,” he said.
Sammy said the stakes were high for both teams, with Bangladesh, currently fourth in the WTC standings, looking to secure maximum points from the series and strengthen their chances of reaching the final. West Indies, meanwhile, will be aiming to improve on their eighth-place finishes in the previous two cycles.
“I think the stakes are high for both teams. Everybody is playing Test cricket to win. When the Test Championship started we had our goals where we wanted to finish. Looking at what we have, the opposition, and we’re in a very good position to achieve that goal,” said Sammy. “And that’s life. I’ve spoken about it many times, what does success mean for our team. For you guys and the people outside it might be something different, but we understand the processes and the steps that we have to take to get to where we’re going. And I think all teams are making those little steps, taking those little steps to get us to where we want to be.
“We obviously know Bangladesh has been playing some good cricket, but so have we, been playing some good cricket this year as well. When we started the Test Championship, when we were quite honest and realistic with ourselves, we’re right where we wanted to be. And these next two Test matches present us with a great opportunity to finish the Test Championship with the goal we started in 2025.
“The expectations are always there. Like I said, the way we’ve played Test cricket this year, we’ve not lost a series this year. It’s a long time we’ve gone through a year without losing a series. And it’s our last series in the Test Championship. The message to the guys, give it all,” he said. “Ten possible days of Test cricket left in this cycle for us and just go out there and give it your all. Whatever motivates you, use that to go out and get performances. We’ve prepared really well.
“Bangladesh has been good this year, they went to Australia, did really well, confidence high, guys playing and performing just like I have guys this year been playing and doing really well. I’m excited about the series and at the end of the day it’s a contest between bat and ball over a five-day period that both teams are trying to win. Hopefully it’s in West Indies’ favour,” Sammy said.
Sammy acknowledged that West Indies would miss the in-form Shai Hope but stressed that his absence would give other players an opportunity to step up. “Shai Hope, we’ve seen what he’s done. And since he’s played all formats, he’s been excellent for us. But so too has Justin Greaves, Jangu, John Campbell, the way he’s improved, Brandon King coming into Test cricket, Warrican, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales. So we don’t rely on one person. We miss Shai Hope but it’s an opportunity for somebody else to step up and make a name for themselves.”
Sammy also expressed optimism about Shamar Joseph’s availability for the opening Test, scheduled to begin at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on October 28. The fast bowler had missed the practice match due to a stomach upset. “He (Joseph) was running quite hard in the nets today. And one thing I know about Shamar, once that bell rings and he makes himself available, we’re going to get 110% from him every single time.
“So hopefully from all reports we’re selecting from 15 men and yeah, I’m excited to finish the Test Championship against a team like Bangladesh who have proven to be extremely difficult to beat at home, especially coming from some good results in this year’s Test cycle. So hopefully we entertain, but when we entertain West Indies come out victorious,” he concluded.
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