Samuels a 'special talent' who underachieved

WEST Indies batsman Marlon Samuels, 39, has retired from professional cricket, two years after his last game in West Indies colours. A sometimes controversial figure, the right-hander was described on Thursday by local cricket officials as a special talent. But they agreed that he failed to fulfil his immense potential.

Samuels made his debut for West Indies in a One-Day International against Sri Lanka on October 4, 2000.

The Jamaican played 71 Test matches, scoring 3,917 runs at an average of 32.64 which included seven centuries and 24 fifties.

In One-Day Internationals he lined up in 207 matches and compiled 5,606 runs at an average of 32.97 with ten centuries and 30 half centuries.

In the T20 format he played 67 matches and ended his career with 1,611 runs at an average of 29.29 that included ten fifties. Two of those half centuries were scored in World T20 finals that steered West Indies to back-to-back titles.

In the 2012 World T20 final, Samuels slammed 78 off 56 deliveries and four years later he cracked an unbeaten 85 not out off 66 balls, both critical innings that helped steer Windies to the title.

His last appearance for West Indies was in December 2018 in an ODI contest.

Johnny Grave, the Cricket West Indies CEO, confirmed to EspnCricinfo on Tuesday that Samuels told CWI of his retirement in June.

Former West Indies manager Omar Khan, who was part of the West Indies staff during Samuels’s playing days, said, “Marlon Samuels has always been a special talent. He was a batsman and a player that has an all-round ability, but of course his temperament was always something that he had to control. In terms of his game he was not as consistent a player with his kind of talent that you would expect.”

Samuels has had several public spats with players – regionally and internationally. He has clashed repeatedly with England all-rounder Ben Stokes and Australian legend Shane Warne,

Last month, Stokes brought their feud back in the spotlight by saying his 14-day quarantine in New Zealand was so tough that he wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy – not even Samuels.

Samuels responded with a profanity-laced statement speaking about Stokes’s wife. Warne chimed in telling Samuels to get help.

Khan, discussing Samuels’s altercations, said, “Those are the things that always cause people to have a different opinion of Marlon Samuels because he tends to be very self opinionated and at the end of the day he does not like to be overshadowed. If he could have adjusted those things in his career he would have been a much more liked player in terms of his overall ability to interact with players.”

Khan said when he “managed Marlon it was just a matter of understanding him.”

Khan said Samuels’s two title-winning knocks will always be a memorable moment.

“As you know, he won two World Cups for West Indies with his special batting…he could have changed a game because of his ability to do so. He is an extraordinary type of player with his batting…he had style and flair.”

Asked if Samuels fulfilled his potential, Khan said, “Not really. I think he did not do justice to his full potential.”

But he said the region “must appreciate the contribution” Samuels made.

Former CWI director Baldath Mahabir said, “I would say he underachieved as an overall cricketer but we will be forever grateful to him for the two World Cup innings.”

Baldath said he played some solid Test innings, recalling a century he scored in Australia. “From there on we thought Marlon Samuels would have kicked in to be something very special in West Indies cricket but unfortunately he came on more as an average player than a star cricketer, but when he was on song he looked very good…He could have delivered more for the West Indies.”

The former CWI director said “sadly I think he will be remembered more for off the field than on the field, except for the two World Cups...I will always take my hat off to him for bringing two World Cups home.”

In the Big Bash League in 2013, Samuels was in an incident with legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne in a match between Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars.

Samuels, while bowling for the Renegades, held back Stars batsman David Hussey that prevented the batting pair from getting another run.

Later in the match when Warne was bowling to Samuels he reminded him about the incident and the players had a heated exchange. During the first altercation between the two Warne grabbed Samuels's shirt.

The incident escalated when Warne threw the ball at Samuels, before the latter threw the bat in the direction of Warne. The umpires had a chat with the players.

Baldath’s brother Surujdath, a former national cricketer and the current PowerGen Secondary Schools Cricket League president agreed with his brother that Samuels could have reached greater heights.

“I think Marlon had a lot of potential (but) I don’t think he truly achieved as much as he could have. I think he had the ability to do much better.”

Surujdath said he needed to be more disciplined to reach his fullest potential.

Surujdath said Samuels’s altercation with Stokes was “a spur of the moment” reaction and does not think it will affect how people feel about him.