Darren Sammy: News

Of all the Caribbean islands, St. Lucia was the only one that did not have an international cricketer for a long time. This changed when Darren Sammy made his international debut in an ODI against New Zealand in 2004. Sammy had a peculiar debut—the match was washed out but officially counted because of the completion of the toss. Making his List A debut at the age of 17 in 2001, he was considered one of the bright prospects in the West Indies. An all-rounder who was capable of picking up crucial wickets and hit the ball over the boundary line, Sammy made his real debut in the 2004 Champions Trophy. He made his Test debut in 2007 against England. On his debut, he picked up seven wickets and registered the best bowling figures on debut by a West Indian since Alf Valentine in 1950. Sammy was made the captain of the team in 2010 after Chris Gayle did not sign the central contract. He led West Indies to their first World title since 1979, when they won the 2012 World T20. He later became the only captain to win the tournament twice after the 2016 World T20.