In an era where data has become an integral part of the success of sports teams around the world, West Indies cricket has found its secret weapon in performance analyst Avenash Seetaram. Darren Sammy, head coach of the West Indies white-ball team, has openly acknowledged the immense role Seetaram plays behind the scenes, elevating the team’s tactical acumen.

Speaking candidly in an interview with The Cricket Monthly, Sammy said: “Avenash is top quality. I’m not going anywhere and [to] no team without him. “He has been the backbone of our planning.”

“I have made these comments before; back then we relied mainly on our natural talent and the knowledge you have as a captain. I promise you that if the West Indies team and I had paid more attention to the data, we would have been much better; “He would have been a much better captain,” Sammy added.

These are powerful words from a man who captained the West Indies to two T20 World Cup titles. Sammy’s admission that a data-driven approach would have transformed not only his leadership but also the team’s performance sheds light on the new dynamics of cricket.

Where intuition and raw talent once dominated, modern cricket now thrives on well-researched strategies, especially in the ever-evolving shorter formats.

Avenash Seetaram has become indispensable to Darren Sammy’s West Indies white-ball set-up

“Now we sit down, plan, look at the images, Avenash researches and make plans. The analyst has now become one of the most important people on staff when it comes to planning, strategizing and the tactical aspects of the game. So now I not only rely on my own knowledge of the game, I have the data to back up the thought process that I have and how I present it to the guys,” Sammy explained about the role Seetaram plays.

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Seetaram’s contributions are especially critical now that West Indies cricket is in the midst of a transformative phase. Under Sammy’s leadership, the team has focused on building a solid foundation ahead of future global tournaments such as the T20 World Cup 2026. The integration of analytics into the team’s strategy has already borne fruit, with the West Indies winning four of their last five T20 series, including a clean sweep against South Africa.

Seetaram’s data-driven approach is essential for planning party strategies, assessing opposition weaknesses and understanding conditions. For a team like the West Indies, which has been blessed with immense natural talent but has often lacked consistency, Seetaram’s work provides much-needed structure.

With key members like Seetaram supporting Sammy and a growing emphasis on data analysis, the West Indies are laying the foundation to recapture their past glories in international cricket. The fact that former stars such as Carl Hooper and James Franklin are joining the coaching team also adds to the wealth of knowledge that is shaping this revamped team.

The future of West Indies cricket may be unpredictable, but with a strong backbone in its analytics team led by Seetaram, the Caribbean team looks well poised to spark a resurgence on the global stage.