5 controversies that rocked cricket in 2016

#4 Darren Sammy’s sacking as West Indies T20 captain

Two-time World T20 champion, Darren Sammy ruffled quite a few feathers when he openly ranted against the lack of support from the WICB the night his team won the second title. In an emotional speech delivered after the win against England at Kolkata, he talked about the lack of support from the WICB, saying “We had a lot of issues, we felt disrespected by our board, Mark Nicholas described our team as a team with no brains”.

All of this did not go down too well with the Board, who sacked him from the job after a “30-second call”. Before a confirmation came, Darren Sammy, in a passionate video on his Facebook page, broke the news to the world, saying that despite leading the side to the title, “my performances have not merited a selection in the squad”.

It was a harsh way to handle one of West Indies’ greatest leaders in recent times, and a vital cog in their T20 campaigns over the years. However, given the history between the Board and the players, what transpired wasn’t entirely surprising.