West Indies' lead-up to the ICC World Twenty20 2016 was more about politics than cricket. As late as a month before the tournament was to start, it was still uncertain whether the first-choice West Indies team will come to theT20 extravaganza that they made

their own by beating England after a scarcely believable run chase in the final at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata last night.

The cricketing world may have guessed how fractious and frustrating it was for the cricketers that the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) were not willing to draw out contracts that were reflective of the players' value, but before the tournament began there was no such expression of grievance from the full-strength West Indies side that thankfully made it to India.

The ever-smiling captain Darren Sammy just jovially said before the tournament began that all that is behind them for now. "Once you step out on the cricket field you should not be worried about contracts and other stuff. It's about making your country proud, ” he had said.

But yesterday at the presentation ceremony Sammy stopped smiling and gave the world a glimpse of the pain his team had undergone. "People were wondering whether we would play this tournament We felt disrespected by our board. Mark Nicholas described our team as a team of 'no brains'. All these things just before the tournament brought this team together."

After thanking his players and his coaching staff effusively, Sammy revealed the shocking state of preparations ahead of the global event. “We had a new manager in this tournament in Rawl Lewis, who has never managed any team before. We had a camp in Dubai. We had no uniforms. The trouble he went through to get us in this uniform.. I have to give credit to the entire team here. It was us in our own little circle."

Sammy became emotional as he related these details, and went on to add that the team had gotten messages from sponsors Caricom and 'inspiring' ones from Grenada Prime Minister Keith Mitchell yesterday morning, but not from the board, which he described as 'very disappointing'.

"For today, I am going to celebrate with these 15 men and this coaching staff. I don't know when I am going to be playing with these guys again, because we don't get selected for one-day cricket. We don't know when we are going to be playingT20s. So this win.. I want to thank you my team. Everybody in the West Indies are Champion,' and the smile, a defiantly proud one this time, was back as the West Indies celebrated.

For last night at least, West Indies' 'own little circle' expanded to include every cricket fan; perhaps even some English ones.