West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has voiced concern over Cricket West Indies (CWI)'s proposed 25 percent reduction in central contracts, saying such off-field distractions on the eve of a major series are the last thing a squad needs. Sammy made the remarks at a pre-match press conference ahead of the third ODI against India on 2 October in New Chandigarh.

Sammy's Take on the Pay Cut Controversy

'I mean, look, as a professional, that's not what you want to hear before a series,' Sammy said. 'Before the pay cuts, I said, there is no better time to play India. You win against the best team, you get some leverage, not only for the West Indies as a whole, but for you personally.' He acknowledged the players had responded professionally despite the unsettling news, adding: 'Performing against India pays you back down the road. We try our best to put that there. I commend the guys for the way they put their heads down.'

Batting Intent a Bright Spot, Bowling Remains a Concern

Evaluating the tour's ODI leg, Sammy praised the aggressive mindset of his top-order batters while conceding the bowling unit has struggled to contain India's powerful line-up. 'We have had four batters scoring 100s in two games. It is a positive for us,' he noted. 'The rotation of strike, the intent, especially against spin — these are the KPIs that we take.' However, he stressed that West Indies must be 'more disciplined in our lines and lengths' when pitches offer bowlers little assistance.

Second ODI Post-Mortem: 70 Runs Lost in the Final Slog

Sammy singled out the final ten overs of the second ODI in Guwahati as a missed opportunity. West Indies were placed around 230 at the 30-over mark, a position that, by standard ODI metrics, should have yielded roughly 450. Instead, the side managed only around 70 runs in the last ten overs to set a target of 406 — a total that still looked imposing on paper but proved insufficient against India's batting firepower.

Gill and Rohit's Record Chase Left Bowlers Helpless

India dismantled the 406-run target in just 43.3 overs, anchored by a 255-run opening partnership between skipper Shubman Gill, who remained unbeaten on 223, and Rohit Sharma, who blazed his way to 101 off approximately 70 balls. Sammy acknowledged his bowlers were given no margin for error. 'Shubman and Rohit didn't really give a chance. The way they batted, both of them — they scored big hundreds,' he said. He told his players that on such batting-friendly pitches, a score of 170, not merely a century, is sometimes what the team requires. Notably, India had never previously chased down 400 in ODI cricket before this match.

What West Indies Must Fix for the Third ODI

With the series already tilted in India's favour, Sammy maintained there were still areas of improvement to build on heading into the New Chandigarh decider. Discipline in bowling, strike rotation in the batting powerplay, and converting strong mid-innings positions into big totals remain the key targets. He called on his squad to 'continue to try to find ways to put the Indian batting under pressure by being a little bit more disciplined and consistent in our lines and lengths.' The third ODI represents both a salvage mission and a chance for West Indies to prove the on-field potential that the off-field turbulence has threatened to overshadow.