Former West Indies skipper Darren Sammy on Monday said that Indian players not playing in overseas T20 leagues contributed to their disappointing campaign in the recently concluded ICC T20 World Cup 2022.
India enjoyed a near-perfect ICC Men's T20 World Cup campaign but their run came to an abrupt end as England thrashed Men in Blue by 10 wickets in the semi-final to knock them out of the tournament.
The two T20 World Cup titles champion Sammy said England profited from the knowledge of their players playing in overseas leagues, including the Big Bash in Australia.
The performance of the India openers and the spinners wasn't up to the mark. Openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul were seen struggling throughout the tournament.
"The players with experience playing in T20 leagues around the world really shone. You look at India, who have the biggest T20 league, but their players do not have the experience of the guys who are playing all over the world," Sammy said in an official ICC release.
"You look at guys like Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, guys who play in the Big Bash. It is no coincidence that they (England) excelled in Australia. England were the most complete team and they are fitting champions. They showed they were the best all-round team in all their pressure matches," he further added.
The former West Indies captain was all praise for star England all-rounder Ben Stokes, who finished the match unbeaten on 52 off 49 balls against Pakistan in the T20 WC final and was dubbed the team's "hero."
"I am absolutely chuffed for Ben Stokes. He was like a sponge, he absorbed the pressure for England, he absorbed, absorbed and absorbed and then you squeeze and release. That was Ben Stokes in that chase," said the former West Indies captain.
"I am so happy for him that he stood up in a final. It's not the first time he has done it. It tells you the mark of a great player because you always find yourself in a position to be a hero for your team. That is what Ben Stokes has done," Sammy said.
After being blasted for four consecutive sixes by Carlos Braithwaite in the 2016 T20 World Cup final at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, it was time for Stokes to redemption.
"I think it's not fair to him that the one defining over in 2016 final will always be remembered when you talk about T20 World Cup finals. Since then, he has soared high like an eagle. With the bat, especially, he has had so many great moments in all three formats," Sammy said.
"That over and the Carlos Brathwaite sixes will be one of the first things you think of when you look back on the T20 World Cup finals. It will not be the first thing you think of when it comes to Ben Stokes though. That is a mark of everything he has achieved," he added.
An unbeaten fifty from Stokes and brilliant performances with the ball from Sam Curran and Adil Rashid guided England to a second ICC Men's T20 World Cup title victory with an impressive five-wicket win over Pakistan in Melbourne on Sunday.
"England have always been able to adapt to what the situation required. Whether it was against Afghanistan in Perth, they did what they needed to get the win. Against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, they upped the tempo when necessary," said Sammy.
"Against India in the semi-final we saw it. In the final, they were dominant. They only needed to chase 137, and they did it. That is maturity in the batting line-up, understanding what you need to do and playing accordingly. They were the most adaptable team with bat and ball and they are worthy winners," he further added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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