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'Love doesn't buy you groceries at supermarket': Daren Sammy's big remark as he compares pay gap among India, WI players

Nov 02, 2022 10:28 PM IST

Former West Indies all-rounder Daren Sammy has voiced his concerns about the pay disparity between West Indies' cricketers and cricketers from other nations.

Many players from the West Indies have been increasingly participating in cash-rich leagues across the world. Many a times, the Windies cricket has been in headlines due to lesser pays and perks; in recent times, the side's big-ticket players like Andre Russell and Sunil Narine have had fall-outs with the board over them playing abroad; both were not selected for the national team's squad for the T20 World Cup.

File image of Daren Sammy.(Reuters)
File image of Daren Sammy.(Reuters)

The issue further spiralled as West Indies were knocked out of the T20 World Cup in the qualifying stages, failing to seal a berth in the Super 12. Losses to inexperienced Scotland and Ireland were attributed to a lacklustre performance and the absence of some key players from the West Indies squad.

Former West Indies all-rounder Daren Sammy has voiced his concerns about the pay disparity between West Indies' cricketers and cricketers from other nations.

“An India A list contracted player could probably make a million dollar a year ( 7 crore plus match fees plus TV rights money) compared to a Windies A lister, who would earn USD 150,000 ( 1.2 crore roughly),” said Sammy.

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The 38-year old expressed his agony saying that love for cricket wasn't enough to lure players into playing for a particular cause.

“Gone are those days when you played for love. Love doesn't buy you groceries from supermarket,” said the all-rounder.

Talking about why some players chose to play in T20 leagues across the globe, Sammy highlighted some important points.

“That's a massive difference and obviously the question of pay (disparity) will always come up. It's very difficult for smaller boards (in terms of financial might) to keep their players together when they are handsomely paid elsewhere,” he explained.

“India is strong because they can tell their players that you don't play anywhere else. You have to understand that they have the money to back it up,” said Sammy citing example of the situation in India.

The former West Indies captain further cited the example of New Zealand cricket board (NZC) on how they cared about their players' interests and handled schedules accordingly.

“I think NZC does it quite well (no international cricket scheduled during IPL). If NZC can do it, it comes down to communication. It's upto the players and the boards to get a working system,” said Sammy.

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