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"I always say batsmen win you matches, but bowlers win you tournaments": Darren Sammy

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Thirty-four matches. Thirty-two days. Exhilarating cricket-action on four Pakistani venues!

The much-anticipated HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 will kick-off from tomorrow, Thursday, with the first ball of the tournament scheduled to be bowled at 9pm.

At the opening match of the tournament, Quetta Gladiators will begin their title defence by taking on two-time champions Islamabad United at Karachi’s National Stadium.

On Friday, Karachi Kings will host Peshawar Zalmi at the National Stadium, while, in Lahore, at the Gaddafi Stadium, Pakistan’s home of cricket, Lahore Qalandars will take on Multan Sultans.

The cricket-crazy nation will be served with thrilling encounters all over the country as all six captains aim for berths in the 22 March final at the Gaddafi Stadium, for a shot at the US$500,000, the winning prize money, and the brand new glittering trophy.

To date, Quetta Gladiators have been the most successful franchise with 61.90 win percentage. The next on the list are Peshawar Zalmi, the champions of the 2017 edition, with 58.69 win percentage.

Islamabad United, the champions of the inaugural and 2018 editions, have the third best win percentage with 57.95 and are the only team with two HBL PSL titles.

Karachi Kings’ win percentage of 42.86 is the best amongst the three franchises, who have lost more matches than they have won. Lahore Qalandars (30.55%) and Multan Sultans (36.84%), who entered the HBL PSL in its third edition in 2018, are the only two teams to have not made it beyond the group-stage till now and they will be hoping that this season brings a change in their fortunes.

This fifth edition of the HBL PSL marks the biggest spectacle of cricket in the country since the 2008 Asia Cup as Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi will host the tournament, which goes down as the first instance of an entire edition of the HBL PSL being held in its own country.

With the long wait for this moment about to end, the fans are eager to welcome their own HBL PSL by filling the stadiums to their capacities and the same excitement is found amongst the captains, who are looking forward to lead their franchises on Pakistani soil.

Three franchises will take the field with new captains this season after Pakistan internationals Shadab Khan and Shan Masood and hard-hitting batsman Sohail Akhtar were named captains of Islamabad United, Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars, respectively, while Imad Wasim (Karachi Kings), Darren Sammy (Peshawar Zalmi) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (Quetta Gladiators) will continue in their roles.

Shadab Khan, the Islamabad United captain, said:
“Our preparations are excellent for this edition. We have had a camp in Islamabad with the Pakistan players and now we are gearing up for the tournament with all of our players in Karachi.

“We have a great balance in our side right from the beginning of the HBL PSL with top Pakistan players forming the core of the team, which gives us room to rely on both our batting and bowling departments to win us matches.

“I am extremely excited for this edition as I am about to captain a franchise which has won the HBL PSL title twice and that also in front of my own people. I have never played a HBL PSL match in my hometown, Rawalpindi, so it is going to be a great experience to play there.”

Karachi Kings captain Imad Wasim said
“I am expecting housefuls in all of the games as we are playing at our home and it should be a lot of fun.

“We are ready and I believe we have a side which will do well in this edition. We are a balanced side which can deliver in whichever situation we will find ourselves in.

“For me it is a great honour to be leading Karachi Kings and I look forward to leading the Kings in front of home crowds. We look forward to the love and support all across Pakistan.”

Lahore Qalandars captain Sohail Akhtar said:
“I feel very blessed and honoured that I will be leading Lahore Qalandars in an edition, which is being held on the Pakistani soil.

“We have put together a perfect blend of senior players and those who have come out of our player development programme. Our preparations had begun for this season three months ago at our high performance centre.

“There’s a lot of excitement amongst the players to be playing in Lahore in their home conditions and we all are very hopeful that because of it this season will be very different from the last four.

“Though we have match-winners in both batting and bowling departments, I am very confident about our bowling this time around and I feel it is the best in the HBL PSL.”

Shan Masood, the captain of Multan Sultans, said:
“We have been preparing very well. We have played scenario-based matches and practiced under lights as our first two matches are at night. Our match against the MCC will give us match practice and we will get to know our ideal combination. For our first match on 21 February we are Tayyar Hain!

“The most refreshing thing for me as a captain is that I have a very-well balanced side. We have fast bowlers and in the spinners we have a leg-spinner, a left-arm orthodox and an off-spinner. And, in batting we have flexible players who can switch on in any situation. If one of our departments is struggling, the other can come to its rescue.

“I am very happy that all the matches are being held in Pakistan and what gives me immense pleasure is the fact that the cities other than Lahore and Karachi are also hosting these matches. We are really excited to play our three matches in Multan.

“It is an honour and a challenge, to which I am looking forward to, for me to be leading my side in Pakistan. The conditions here in Pakistan support both batting and bowling. We will have high scores and more and more involvement of the fans with them coming to the stadiums and filling the stands. All over the world, players at home have better records than they have away and we had been missing that.”

Darren Sammy, the Peshawar Zalmi
captain, said
“Peshawar Zalmi have been very consistent in the HBL PSL. We have always prepared hard for every edition and this time is no different. Guys have been working really hard on their skills and I can’t wait to see them execute it in the games. Playing with passion and never say die attitude has been the mantra of Zalmi.

“I always say batsmen win you matches, but bowlers win you tournaments. With the caliber of good pitches here in Pakistan the best bowling side will win the tournament.

“It is always a pleasure to lead Peshawar Zalmi. From the very first season we have developed that bond which makes us a family and makes us play for each other and it is always easier to be leading the team with the presence of experienced guys like Wahab [Riaz], Hasan [Ali], Kamran [Akmal] and [Shoaib] Malik who pass on the knowledge to the youngsters.

“This edition already has a different feeling to it as the entire tournament is being held in Pakistan. It is a massive step forward from making the time when the final of the 2017 edition was held in Lahore. It is an amazing feeling to see how quickly the people of Pakistan have gotten a chance to watch an entire tournament in their country.”

Sarfaraz Ahmed, the captain of the defending champions Quetta Gladiators, said
“The preparations have been going really well for us both in terms of training and the team-related activities. Every player is eager to contribute in the success of Quetta Gladiators.

“I’m really lucky that Quetta Gladiators squad is full of match winners both in batting and bowling departments and it is nice to have such a strong side.

“It would be really amazing to lead Quetta Gladiators in Pakistan because we can expect full house in each and every match and the atmosphere would be something which we haven’t experienced ever before with fanfare there for more than a month-long period.

“With the full edition of HBL PSL being played in Pakistan, it will inspire the whole generation to take up the game of cricket in their career as they will see stars playing in front of them.”

The opening match of the tournament will be preceded by a richly entertaining opening ceremony, which will begin at 6.45pm.
 
Pre-match presser:

Sarfaraz Ahmed


Jahangir bhai was telling us his story, he said he runs 10 miles every day. Shadab and I looked at each other. I thought forget 10 miles, it's been a long time since I ran 10 rounds. Now, we have a 1km test and we always prepare for that.

Naseem Shah is a talented bowler. He is going through a rehab process right now after injury. As soon as he is fit, he will be available. He has performed well in international cricket so our expectations are high.

PSL is important. My first priority is to do well as a player and as a captain for my team here. If I do well in PSL, I am hopeful things will improve for me in future as well.

It's a great thing that all teams get support here. It's a good thing that the public supports players. Teams will get support wherever they go.

We have thought that Jason Roy and Shane Watson will open the batting and Ahmed will bat at 3.

The players who are coming to Pakistan are getting to know about the atmosphere here. People who don't come here assume that things are bad here. Last year, we convinced Watson to come here and he really likes the atmosphere. Now with full PSL in Pakistan, I am hopeful it will send out a good message to the world and after PSL, more international players will come to Pakistan.

I would like to wish Shadab good luck. It's a good sign that IU have brought through a young player and given him captaincy, he's a terrific player and I hope he performs well. He has captaincy capability.

Shadab Khan

Captaincy will be easy because our team has professional cricketers. I have played a lot with them. If there are any difficulties, the seniors will help me and we will play collectively.

I spoke to some of the foreign players. They were excited that people were coming and watching as at the UBL ground. They said that we've come here to play for them so it's a great source of happiness that they're supporting us. There's a lot of excitement.

Dale Steyn will miss the first three matches but he'll join the team after that.

I miss playing with Saifi bhai, I started my career under his captaincy. He had a lot of confidence in me. I am hopeful that he will perform well and come back into the team.
 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Darren Sammy "For me whether it's a passport or not, I think my contribution to this country is all from within. I don't need a passport to associate myself with Pakistan" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PSLV?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PSLV</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1230841915052089350?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Thirty-four matches. Thirty-two days. Exhilarating cricket-action on four Pakistani venues!

The much-anticipated HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 will kick-off from tomorrow, Thursday, with the first ball of the tournament scheduled to be bowled at 9pm.

At the opening match of the tournament, Quetta Gladiators will begin their title defence by taking on two-time champions Islamabad United at Karachi’s National Stadium.

On Friday, Karachi Kings will host Peshawar Zalmi at the National Stadium, while, in Lahore, at the Gaddafi Stadium, Pakistan’s home of cricket, Lahore Qalandars will take on Multan Sultans.

The cricket-crazy nation will be served with thrilling encounters all over the country as all six captains aim for berths in the 22 March final at the Gaddafi Stadium, for a shot at the US$500,000, the winning prize money, and the brand new glittering trophy.

To date, Quetta Gladiators have been the most successful franchise with 61.90 win percentage. The next on the list are Peshawar Zalmi, the champions of the 2017 edition, with 58.69 win percentage.

Islamabad United, the champions of the inaugural and 2018 editions, have the third best win percentage with 57.95 and are the only team with two HBL PSL titles.

Karachi Kings’ win percentage of 42.86 is the best amongst the three franchises, who have lost more matches than they have won. Lahore Qalandars (30.55%) and Multan Sultans (36.84%), who entered the HBL PSL in its third edition in 2018, are the only two teams to have not made it beyond the group-stage till now and they will be hoping that this season brings a change in their fortunes.

This fifth edition of the HBL PSL marks the biggest spectacle of cricket in the country since the 2008 Asia Cup as Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi will host the tournament, which goes down as the first instance of an entire edition of the HBL PSL being held in its own country.

With the long wait for this moment about to end, the fans are eager to welcome their own HBL PSL by filling the stadiums to their capacities and the same excitement is found amongst the captains, who are looking forward to lead their franchises on Pakistani soil.

Three franchises will take the field with new captains this season after Pakistan internationals Shadab Khan and Shan Masood and hard-hitting batsman Sohail Akhtar were named captains of Islamabad United, Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars, respectively, while Imad Wasim (Karachi Kings), Darren Sammy (Peshawar Zalmi) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (Quetta Gladiators) will continue in their roles.

Shadab Khan, the Islamabad United captain, said:
“Our preparations are excellent for this edition. We have had a camp in Islamabad with the Pakistan players and now we are gearing up for the tournament with all of our players in Karachi.

“We have a great balance in our side right from the beginning of the HBL PSL with top Pakistan players forming the core of the team, which gives us room to rely on both our batting and bowling departments to win us matches.

“I am extremely excited for this edition as I am about to captain a franchise which has won the HBL PSL title twice and that also in front of my own people. I have never played a HBL PSL match in my hometown, Rawalpindi, so it is going to be a great experience to play there.”

Karachi Kings captain Imad Wasim said
“I am expecting housefuls in all of the games as we are playing at our home and it should be a lot of fun.

“We are ready and I believe we have a side which will do well in this edition. We are a balanced side which can deliver in whichever situation we will find ourselves in.

“For me it is a great honour to be leading Karachi Kings and I look forward to leading the Kings in front of home crowds. We look forward to the love and support all across Pakistan.”

Lahore Qalandars captain Sohail Akhtar said:
“I feel very blessed and honoured that I will be leading Lahore Qalandars in an edition, which is being held on the Pakistani soil.

“We have put together a perfect blend of senior players and those who have come out of our player development programme. Our preparations had begun for this season three months ago at our high performance centre.

“There’s a lot of excitement amongst the players to be playing in Lahore in their home conditions and we all are very hopeful that because of it this season will be very different from the last four.

“Though we have match-winners in both batting and bowling departments, I am very confident about our bowling this time around and I feel it is the best in the HBL PSL.”

Shan Masood, the captain of Multan Sultans, said:
“We have been preparing very well. We have played scenario-based matches and practiced under lights as our first two matches are at night. Our match against the MCC will give us match practice and we will get to know our ideal combination. For our first match on 21 February we are Tayyar Hain!

“The most refreshing thing for me as a captain is that I have a very-well balanced side. We have fast bowlers and in the spinners we have a leg-spinner, a left-arm orthodox and an off-spinner. And, in batting we have flexible players who can switch on in any situation. If one of our departments is struggling, the other can come to its rescue.

“I am very happy that all the matches are being held in Pakistan and what gives me immense pleasure is the fact that the cities other than Lahore and Karachi are also hosting these matches. We are really excited to play our three matches in Multan.

“It is an honour and a challenge, to which I am looking forward to, for me to be leading my side in Pakistan. The conditions here in Pakistan support both batting and bowling. We will have high scores and more and more involvement of the fans with them coming to the stadiums and filling the stands. All over the world, players at home have better records than they have away and we had been missing that.”

Darren Sammy, the Peshawar Zalmi
captain, said
“Peshawar Zalmi have been very consistent in the HBL PSL. We have always prepared hard for every edition and this time is no different. Guys have been working really hard on their skills and I can’t wait to see them execute it in the games. Playing with passion and never say die attitude has been the mantra of Zalmi.

“I always say batsmen win you matches, but bowlers win you tournaments. With the caliber of good pitches here in Pakistan the best bowling side will win the tournament.

“It is always a pleasure to lead Peshawar Zalmi. From the very first season we have developed that bond which makes us a family and makes us play for each other and it is always easier to be leading the team with the presence of experienced guys like Wahab [Riaz], Hasan [Ali], Kamran [Akmal] and [Shoaib] Malik who pass on the knowledge to the youngsters.

“This edition already has a different feeling to it as the entire tournament is being held in Pakistan. It is a massive step forward from making the time when the final of the 2017 edition was held in Lahore. It is an amazing feeling to see how quickly the people of Pakistan have gotten a chance to watch an entire tournament in their country.”

Sarfaraz Ahmed, the captain of the defending champions Quetta Gladiators, said
“The preparations have been going really well for us both in terms of training and the team-related activities. Every player is eager to contribute in the success of Quetta Gladiators.

“I’m really lucky that Quetta Gladiators squad is full of match winners both in batting and bowling departments and it is nice to have such a strong side.

“It would be really amazing to lead Quetta Gladiators in Pakistan because we can expect full house in each and every match and the atmosphere would be something which we haven’t experienced ever before with fanfare there for more than a month-long period.

“With the full edition of HBL PSL being played in Pakistan, it will inspire the whole generation to take up the game of cricket in their career as they will see stars playing in front of them.”

The opening match of the tournament will be preceded by a richly entertaining opening ceremony, which will begin at 6.45pm.

You are not winning PSL V with Hasan Ali and Wahab Riaz, that's for sure!
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Darren Sammy "For me whether it's a passport or not, I think my contribution to this country is all from within. I don't need a passport to associate myself with Pakistan" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PSLV?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PSLV</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1230841915052089350?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Which idiot asked this question?
 
President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi will confer the highest civilian award and honorary citizenship to Darren Sammy on 23 March for his invaluable contribution to cricket in Pakistan
 
And a captain who has been hopping on one leg for 3 years will win you nothing.

The fact that Sammy is still in the team let alone captaining the side is a farce. He has not been match-fit since PSL 2018, he barely bowls anymore and his batting is nothing to write home about - he fails 9/10 times.

He is a complete liability who is hogging up the spot of a batsman/bowler or perhaps an all-rounder who will provide more utility than a completely washed up Sammy.

He is not good enough to play in any league these days and I think he hasn’t even been picked in the CPL in the last two seasons.

However, as long as he speaks a few words of Pashto and wears the Peshawari chappal, our fans will do bhangra around Sammy “Khan” and he will captain the side on one leg for another few years.

If Javed Afridi sees him as a team mascot with all these gimmicks, then make him a team mascot. He is not good enough to play anymore.

He can do what Sir Viv has done for Quetta. “Motivate” the players and earn a fortune for giving high fives on the bench.

Unfortunately, this is what Pakistan cricket has been reduced to. We have become a desperate nation who will bend over backwards to appease those who show any interest in Pakistan cricket.

Sammy must be laughing all the way to the bank with the way he has milked the desperation of Pakistan cricket to the bone.

Highest civilian award and honorary citizenship for what? What are his services?

He gets paid millions for playing in a league. Nothing more, nothing less. If anything, Sammy “Khan” should be thankful to Pakistan cricket for keeping him relevant and keeping the income flowing, in spite of not being good enough to the point where even the Caribbean league does not want to invest in him.

I am completely embarrassed and baffled by our pitiful situation and desperation. Sammy does not deserve to be conferred with any award and he has no services to Pakistan cricket.

If he was in the prime of his career with considerable future earning potential, we would have seen how much he would have been willing to “help” Pakistan cricket and “offer his services”.
 
And a captain who has been hopping on one leg for 3 years will win you nothing.

The fact that Sammy is still in the team let alone captaining the side is a farce. He has not been match-fit since PSL 2018, he barely bowls anymore and his batting is nothing to write home about - he fails 9/10 times.

He is a complete liability who is hogging up the spot of a batsman/bowler or perhaps an all-rounder who will provide more utility than a completely washed up Sammy.

He is not good enough to play in any league these days and I think he hasn’t even been picked in the CPL in the last two seasons.

However, as long as he speaks a few words of Pashto and wears the Peshawari chappal, our fans will do bhangra around Sammy “Khan” and he will captain the side on one leg for another few years.

If Javed Afridi sees him as a team mascot with all these gimmicks, then make him a team mascot. He is not good enough to play anymore.

He can do what Sir Viv has done for Quetta. “Motivate” the players and earn a fortune for giving high fives on the bench.

Unfortunately, this is what Pakistan cricket has been reduced to. We have become a desperate nation who will bend over backwards to appease those who show any interest in Pakistan cricket.

Sammy must be laughing all the way to the bank with the way he has milked the desperation of Pakistan cricket to the bone.

Highest civilian award and honorary citizenship for what? What are his services?

He gets paid millions for playing in a league. Nothing more, nothing less. If anything, Sammy “Khan” should be thankful to Pakistan cricket for keeping him relevant and keeping the income flowing, in spite of not being good enough to the point where even the Caribbean league does not want to invest in him.

I am completely embarrassed and baffled by our pitiful situation and desperation. Sammy does not deserve to be conferred with any award and he has no services to Pakistan cricket.

If he was in the prime of his career with considerable future earning potential, we would have seen how much he would have been willing to “help” Pakistan cricket and “offer his services”.

He won two icc trophies, and in the second one only made 8 runs and took 3 wickets. Captaincy is more than just appointing fielders.
 
He won two icc trophies, and in the second one only made 8 runs and took 3 wickets. Captaincy is more than just appointing fielders.

That was 4 years ago. Since 2017-18, he has not been fit enough to play and hops on leg after taking 2 runs. The fact that he is still playing for Zalmi is a joke.
 
That was 4 years ago. Since 2017-18, he has not been fit enough to play and hops on leg after taking 2 runs. The fact that he is still playing for Zalmi is a joke.

No serious team will pick him. This guy is seen as 1 of the marquee players at the PSL. Just sums up the quality and mentality of franchises at the PSL that Sammy is held in such high regard.
 
Time to get rid of Darren Sammy as a player from PSL?

I don't get why Zalmi keeps on playing this hype man when he's good for nothing now. He can't bat, nor field and doesn't bowl either and has been jogging on one foot for last few years. I think its time for Zalmi to make him the mentor and retire him from cricket.
 
As long as he can speak a few Pashto words and wear Peshawari chappal, he will continue to captain Zalmi and accumulate undeserved accolades.

His 2 (13) today was certainly worthy of a Pride of Performance Award.

We are truly a “nadeeda” nation. Embarrassing and cringeworthy to say the least.
 
He is a commentator now. PSL is the only league where coaches and commentators are playing as active players.
 
I don't get why Zalmi keeps on playing this hype man when he's good for nothing now. He can't bat, nor field and doesn't bowl either and has been jogging on one foot for last few years. I think its time for Zalmi to make him the mentor and retire him from cricket.

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This is why he was retained.

His time is up now, though.
 
Sammy needs to go.

Otherwise, PZ will keep losing and not win any titles going forward. He's a liability, as he can't bat now.

Should be in their management if they love him so much.
 
Harsh to blame Sammy. He is essentially the lower order accelerator who can give you 25(12) not his fault the top order and middle order collapsed but obviously past his prime
 
This is 1 thing I hate about the PSL. Sammy isn't the only 1 but there are overseas players who wouldn't be regular in other leagues. But they keep on getting picked in the PSL probably due to experience and being a name.A smart franchise would have moved on from Sammy, Kamran Akmal, and Wahab a couple of years ago. Yet they are still key players for PZ even though they are past their prime. I am almost certain they will be replaced with oldies when the time comes .
 
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This is 1 thing I hate about the PSL. Sammy isn't the only 1 but there are overseas players who wouldn't be regular in other leagues. But they keep on getting picked in the PSL probably due to experience and being a name.A smart franchise would have moved on from Sammy, Kamran Akmal, and Wahab a couple of years ago. Yet they are still key players for PZ even though they are past their prime. I am almost certain they will be replaced with oldies when the time comes .

I can understand Sammy but why should PZ have dropped Kamran and Wahab?. If I am not wrong, both are their main performers. One has the most number of runs in the history of PSL and the second has the most number of wickets.
 
I can understand Sammy but why should PZ have dropped Kamran and Wahab?. If I am not wrong, both are their main performers. One has the most number of runs in the history of PSL and the second has the most number of wickets.

They are going to both decline eventually. And it will be on PZ watch. Why not let them decline elsewhere?
 
This is 1 thing I hate about the PSL. Sammy isn't the only 1 but there are overseas players who wouldn't be regular in other leagues. But they keep on getting picked in the PSL probably due to experience and being a name.A smart franchise would have moved on from Sammy, Kamran Akmal, and Wahab a couple of years ago. Yet they are still key players for PZ even though they are past their prime. I am almost certain they will be replaced with oldies when the time comes .

The same Kamran Akmal who made a century recently, i think you mean asilly franchise would have tried to move on from him, just because he is not good enough for international cricket doesnt mean he isnt good enough for the PSL. ?
 
The same Kamran Akmal who made a century recently, i think you mean asilly franchise would have tried to move on from him, just because he is not good enough for international cricket doesnt mean he isnt good enough for the PSL. ?

1 century means you are good enough to play for another 2/3 years lol?

No surprise here. Franchies have this mentality so it's no surprise fans have this mentality.
 
1 century means you are good enough to play for another 2/3 years lol?

No surprise here. Franchies have this mentality so it's no surprise fans have this mentality.

The guys scored a century every psl edition bar 2019,out of the 6 psl centuries he has 3, he is the highest run scorer in the PSL history, hit the most sixes in PSL history, but he hasn't been good enough for 2/3 years, you don't even know what your talking about come with facts not emotion typical Pakistani negative mentality
 
Sammy is the most successful T20 leader in history (2 world titles as captain) but it is time for him to hang up his boots. I think he is finished.
 
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