The ongoing third Test between West Indies and India at Saint Lucia is being played in front of empty stands due to the protests in support of the local cricketer Darren Sammy.
Sammy, under whose leadership West Indies lifted two ICC World T20 titles in 2012 and 2016, was sacked from T20 captaincy on August 5 during a “30-second-long call” by chairman of selectors Courtney Browne, as the 32-year-old revealed in a video message that he posted on the social media.
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) on Tuesday axed the all-rounder from the T20 squad for the upcoming series against India in the United States of America.
Since then, Sammy’s fans have called for the boycott of the third Test, which also began on Tuesday, at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium named in the cricketer’s honour.
The protesters, holding placards, gathered outside the stadium at the start of the Test. They, however, were not allowed to enter the stadium as the management did not allow placards inside the stadium.
Sammy, veteran of 230 international matches, showed up during the protest at Lunch and urged protesters to move on and support the team.
