‘I am getting back my touch’- Samuels

Former West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels says he is happy with the progress of his form heading into next month’s second annual staging of the lucrative Caribbean Twenty20 (CT20) Tournament, to be staged in Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda.

The 29-year-old, who made a return to regional cricket earlier this summer, but has since struggled with the bat, especially in the Twenty20 format of the game, finished as the top batsman with the highest individual score, during Jamaica’s just-concluded three CT20 trial matches. 

In the games, which were played on an uneven and challenging Chedwin Park wicket, which eventually led to West Indies ‘A’ batsman Danza Hyatt sustaining a broken finger, Samuels made a near run-a-ball 38 in the first, three in the second, and an unbeaten 76 off 62 balls in the third, which included five sixes, and three boundaries. 

“I feel like I am getting back my touch,” Samuels told The Sunday Gleaner in an exclusive interview. 

“I was out of the game for a while, but since my return, I have been working hard at my game, and my timing has improved. I am now starting to play more of the shots that I used to play, and I am finding the gaps more frequently. 

I just hope that from here on I will continue to improve, so that I can make a solid contribution to the team in the tournament,” he added. 

RETURN TO CRICKET 

Out of the game for two years after the International Cricket Council found him guilty of match-fixing allegations, a ban which he said was unfair as he was innocent, Samuels made a return to competitive cricket in May, and has since represented Jamaica in two major regional tournaments, the inaugural Caribbean Twenty20 tournament in July, and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) 50-Over Tournament in October. 

Since his return, however, he has been unable to capture the form of his heyday in the sport, which drew him many admirers, and the luxury at one stage of being referred to as “Brian Lara batting right-handed” by an Australian commentator. 

This has since led to calls by his detractors for him to be dropped, especially in the Twenty20 format of the game, and make way for young, upcoming batsmen such as former West Indies Under-19 standouts, Horace Miller and Nkruma Bonner, who are both 21 years old, and have performed well in the few regional appearances they have made thus far for Jamaica and the WICB/ Sagicor High Performance Centre, respectively. 

However, buoyed by his personal will to prove his detractors wrong, Samuels stepped up to the plate at the trial matches, and especially in his third and final innings, reminded spectators of what he was capable of doing when on song. 

“I am aware of calls for me to be dropped, however, I don’t make that bother me. I am always a confident person, and know what I am capable of doing. It was just a matter of scoring runs,” Samuels said, following the third match on Friday. 

“I have been doing a lot of work individually, and with the technical director Jimmy Adams. I have also been working with Yoga Angels Jamaica, Villa Ronai Therapeutic and Reflexology Centre, which has helped me with my meditation, and the management of my knee, which has gone through four surgeries, and continues to strengthen.”

The former Kingston College student, and current Melbourne CC captain, who, prior to his ban averaged 28.73 in 29 Tests and 30.27 in 107 one-day internationals, was also asked about his hopes of playing for the West Indies again. 

“I am not really looking at playing for the West Indies right now. I just want to continue playing for my country, and help the team to win the shorter versions of the game some more,” he said.

Samuels is one of five specialist batsmen named in Jamaica’s 14-man squad for the tournament on Friday. The others are new captain Wavell Hinds, who replaced Tamar Lambert, who was dropped; opener Xavier Marshall; Horace Miller and Hyatt.