• Home
  • Who Said What
  • More Will Follow Sammy Teases More Shocking Retirements After Pooran

"More Will Follow...": Sammy Teases More Shocking Retirements After Pooran

Kaushik Kashyap

Darren Sammy with WI. [Source - TheCricketWire/x.com]Darren Sammy with WI. [Source - TheCricketWire/x.com]

In a significant turn of events, West Indies cricketer Nicholas Pooran announced his retirement from international cricket at just 29 years of age on Monday. The timing of his decision was even more shocking, with the T20 World Cup 2026 just months away.

Daren Sammy Knew Pooran Would Quit

Pooran, known for his explosive batting and flair, was expected to play a vital role in West Indies’ T20I journey ahead. However, West Indies head coach and two-time T20 World Cup-winning captain Daren Sammy as quoted by ESPNCricinfo, revealed that he was not surprised by the decision, stating that he had seen it coming.

"When we first spoke about the UK tour and the conversation I had with him, I did ask him, 'Are you unavailable for the UK tour only, or indefinite?' And from that response, I just knew I had to start preparing for the worst case,” Sammy said to the media after the 3rd T20I against England.

Pooran is currently at the peak of his power as a T20 batter which makes his untimely West Indies retirement even worse. Notably, Sammy also warned that more players are likely to follow the Pooran route. Keeping the players motivated to play in Maroon is one of the biggest challenges he now faces as a coach.

“I am pretty sure more will follow in that direction. That is the way T20 cricket is now, and especially coming from the West Indies, with the challenges that we face trying to keep our players motivated to play for the crest, so I would not be surprised," Sammy added.

Sammy also drew parallels to the early retirements of South African stars like Heinrich Klaasen and Quinton de Kock, who also put curtains on their South Africa career recently.

Pooran’s Retirement Shakes Things Up for Coach Sammy

There is no doubt that the players are now prioritizing franchise cricket, and their choices are largely beyond anyone's control. Pooran’s departure leaves a significant void in the West Indies side, which recently faced 3-0 white-ball series defeat to England.

Looking at the road ahead, with two major white-ball events approaching, including the 2026 T20 World Cup, Daren Sammy and the West Indies Cricket Board will have to urgently rethink and rebuild their squad in a post-Pooran era.