Impressive West Indies set for title defence

Having arrived a good 30 minutes ahead of schedule for his press conference, Darren Sammy waited patiently for the journalists, out of shape and panting after hurriedly clambering down three levels, to catch their breath and settle down. Suddenly, he discovered the pleasures of a swivel chair, going round and round in circles and repeatedly saying. ‘This is nice’.

Sammy and a smile are constant companions. He is blessed with the ability to find humour in every situation, an endearing trait that is distinctly Caribbean, and which must not be mistaken for a lack of competitive intent.

As the Q&A session got underway, someone asked the West Indies captain, “You seem very relaxed, do you think India are easy opponents tomorrow?” For a fleeting second, the smile left the Sammy face as he struggled to make sense of that query. Then, he grinned broadly and countered, “You seriously asked that question?”