Sammy sacked as skipper

All-rounder Darren Sammy has been fired as the West Indies' Test captain ahead of the series against New Zealand later this year.

All-rounder Darren Sammy has been fired as the West Indies' Test captain ahead of the series against New Zealand later this year.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Denesh Ramdin will succeed Sammy, who lost the ODI captaincy to the veteran Dwayne Bravo recently – but will continue to lead the T20I unit.

"Ramdin has been named new Test match captain of the West Indies team. Congratulations to him on the appointment. The WICB will issue a full media release on the appointment of Denesh shortly," tweeted the West Indies Cricket Board.

"His first series at the helm will be against NZ at home. The WICB also thanks Darren for his time at the helm as Test match captain since November 2010. He will remain as T20I captain."

Batsman Chris Gayle's decision to not sign a central contract saw Sammy handed the reins of the Test team more than three years ago. The Windies have since suffered six series defeats across a dozen tours, with four victories and two draws.

The right-handed Sammy, who is currently playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, isn't likely to retain a berth in the Test XI – on the back of a mediocre string of performances with bat and ball.

The 29-year-old Ramdin captained the ODI outfit to a 40-run triumph over Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur in October 2011 – but has not yet led the Test team.

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