Sammy defends Charles’ selection for T20 World Cup

KOLKATA, India (CMC):

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has defended his decision to include Johnson Charles in the team for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

The inclusion of the 37-year-old Charles was one of the biggest talking points after Cricket West Indies (CWI) named a 15-member squad late last month to compete in the February 7 to March 8 tournament in Sri Lanka and India.

Charles, an opener and wicketkeeper, has played 69 T20Is for the West Indies and averages 22.42.

Speaking during a pre-match press conference on Friday, Sammy said Charles was selected as a second wicketkeeping option and because of his vast experience.

“Obviously Johnson is a senior player in the team. If you noticed over the last two years, we’ve given guys the opportunity to play that second wicketkeeper to Shai and to be fair, no one has really grabbed on to the opportunity.

“Johnson, with all that’s going on, is still one of the better performers and with his experience that he brings, especially over here, that was more or less why we brought him. The experience, you never know if something happens to Shai, he is a direct replacement at the top of the order and can hold the gloves, so we saw him as that guy who could play as a backup opener and a backup wicketkeeper,” Sammy said.

“I know somewhere someone is beating me over my back for Johnson Charles, but I’ve never been one to really worry about what the public says. We do things, we plan properly, even if you plan it is the execution of the plan that really matters. Sometimes it doesn’t happen and the coaches get the short end of the stick, but we believe in the squad. We have some new guys and we have some experience and that’s what you want the team to be made up of.”