West Indies head coach Daren Sammy recently spoke with Nicholas Pooran ahead of their England tour and made a surprising revelation about the batter’s retirement. Sammy admitted he had some inkling that Pooran might retire soon. The left-handed batsman shocked the cricket world by announcing his international retirement on June 10, at just 29 years old.
Although Pooran never featured in a Test match, he was a formidable force in the West Indies’ white-ball squads. He finished as the team’s top run-scorer in T20 internationals, amassing 2,275 runs across 106 games. In ODIs, he scored 1,983 runs in 61 matches and holds the record for the most T20I appearances for the West Indies.
Pooran shared his retirement news through an emotional Instagram post, calling it a difficult decision and expressing gratitude to his fans for their unwavering support throughout his career.
West Indies: Daren Sammy on Nicholas Pooran’s Retirement: “My Instincts Told Me Something Like This Would Happen”
In an interview with ESPNCricinfo, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy revealed that he had spoken with Nicholas Pooran before the England tour, which gave him an inkling about the player’s possible retirement plans.
“My instincts told me something like that would happen,” Sammy said. “Nicholas sent me a text message, and I also spoke with his agent. When we first discussed the UK tour, I asked him if he was unavailable just for that tour or if it was indefinite. From his response, I knew I had to prepare for the worst.”
The former West Indies captain expressed his desire to keep a talent like Pooran in the white-ball squad but acknowledged that he cannot control players’ career decisions. Now, his focus is on building a strong team for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 without Pooran.
“Ideally, I would love to have a player of his caliber in the team. But careers are not something I control. We have to move forward and plan without Nicholas Pooran. I respect that he informed us early, giving us more time to prepare,” said the 41-year-old.
Meanwhile, Pooran will remain active in franchise cricket, participating in various T20 leagues around the world. Recently, he played for the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2025, scoring 524 runs in 14 matches, including five half-centuries, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer for his team.