BRISTOL, England — West Indies head coach Daren Sammy did not mince words following his team’s winless run on their tour of England, calling the string of defeats “very disappointing” in a sobering assessment of the regional side’s performance.
The once-mighty Windies were swept 3-0 in the One-Day International (ODI) series and now face the prospect of a T20I whitewash as well, trailing 2-0 following a four-wicket loss to England on Sunday. The final T20I is scheduled for Tuesday — but even victory there would do little to gloss over what has been a bruising and disheartening campaign.
“I’m very disappointed,” Sammy admitted in his post-match remarks. “The way we played T20 in 2024, we were all looking forward to 2025 — especially the contests we’ve had over the last two years against England. Even though it’s been at home, we’ve been much more competitive.”
High hopes, hard falls
Coming into this series, the West Indies carried a sense of quiet optimism. Their strong showings in 2024 had sparked belief that this new generation could reignite the flame of Caribbean cricket glory. But the performances in England have offered a sobering counterpoint, with defeats piling up and cohesion breaking down.
“To lose both series and not get off the mark yet is very disappointing,” Sammy continued, “because of the calibre of players that we have in this team.”
A tale of two halves
Sunday’s T20I loss offered a textbook case of squandered potential. The West Indies posted what looked to be a challenging 196 for six, but a lackluster stretch in the middle overs blunted their charge and allowed England to seize control.
Sammy zeroed in on that period of stagnation between overs seven and 15, during which the Windies’ innings drifted without urgency or intent.
“When you look at the average West Indian winning score, it’s about 190,” Sammy explained. “But I thought we allowed them to settle in the middle between overs seven to 15. I thought that was where we were off the ball a lot.”
He acknowledged the explosive finish, led by Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, and Romario Shepherd, who powered a late surge. But by then, the damage had been done.
“Obviously, the way Rovman, Jason, and Shepherd played the last five overs — that was just superb,” Sammy said. “But we lost it in that batting between overs seven to 10, first by not losing a wicket and only scoring, I think, 27 runs; and then we were going at just around a run a ball between 10 to 15.”
“It took out all the momentum; and even when you score 16 runs an over in the last five, it was not enough.”
Final shot at redemption
As the final T20I looms, Sammy and his team have one last chance to salvage pride from a bitterly disappointing tour. But beyond the scoreboard, the coach’s candid reflections point to deeper questions about focus, consistency, and execution — elements the West Indies must address if they are to re-establish themselves as a formidable force on the international stage.
