‘Best player needn’t be captain’

* Of course my record doesn’t match up to a world-class player but what I have is passion,the heart and the motivation. As long as you have mental toughness you can achieve anything you believe in. That’s how I go about doing things. I don’t see myself as a saviour. I see myself as someone who tries his best to make a difference.

What did you tell the players when you took over?

* The talk in the media was that I shouldn’t be the captain and that I was not the person for the job. I remember I used to pull the guys aside and telling them that I did not ask for this position; it was given to me. Anybody who has West Indies cricket in their heart will go out there and give their best. And that was my message to them. They are not playing for me or the coach. They are playing for the millions of supporters we have,who wake up early morning or stay up at night to watch us.

Did you ever think captaincy would become a Sammy vs Gayle issue?

* My wife told me the other day before I was captain,I was the most loved cricketer in the region (laughs). The whole situation with Gayle is not in my hands. The people dealing with that have asked Gayle what he needs to do and stuff. And the coach has a way forward for the team and I believe whoever doesn’t want to buy into that,doesn’t want to fit into that.

Why do you think he doesn’t fit in?

* No,I never said he doesn’t fit in the team. The matter is being dealt with and the sooner they resolve the matter the better it would be for us. I have no issues with Christopher. He helped me throughout the World Cup. I was always going to him for advice and stuff like that. It’s sad that we have issue like this now. Hopefully something positive will come out of this.

Critics feel if you were not the skipper,you wouldn’t make it to the team — someone like Kemar Roach would.

* At the end of the day,if I look at my Test record,it’s okay. In every team somebody will be always be the fall guy. So far,it’s always been me. Kemar,it’s tough luck for him. At the end of the day the selectors pick the team and Fidel Edwards came and took so many wickets on his return to international cricket. What’s good is that we have competition for spots in the bowling.

Some people call you a puppet of the board. A ‘board man’. What do you have to say about that?

* ‘Board man’! I really don’t know what they mean by that. The selectors recommended that I be the captain and I am doing my job.

You’ve said that Fire in Babylon inspired you,did you get emotional during the viewing?

* Very emotional. I remember watching it in St Lucia for the first time. Watching our great cricketers,from where we started and where we got and to where we are now. It was a reality check. We have to give it our all in order to honour the legacy that we represent.

There has never been a West Indies captain who has not been the best player — Lloyd,Richards,Lara. Did the fact that you weren’t a regular in the side affect you?

* Well,that was in the past man. We are looking towards the future. The best player is not always the best captain. That’s just things in the past. I respect all the captains who have led the West Indies. Dating back to the first black man who captained the West Indies,Frank Worrell. He set the tone for everybody to follow.

So to see your name up there,has captaincy been a dream come true?

* It’s not a dream come true,as I never dreamt about it. What I respect is the legacy these guys created and the history they have left behind.

What have you discovered about yourself during this phase?

* That I am mentally very tough. I surprise myself. I am even tougher than I thought. Even my team mates have realised that. Like I said,I thank my mom for raising me in such a way that I am so mentally strong. I have utmost faith in Jesus Christ. He did nothing wrong and yet he was crucified. So I am prepared since I made my debut,I have always been under pressure.