Hero of West Indies’ 2 World Cup title wins, had links with controversies, had a dispute with Shane Warne

New Delhi. West Indies’ status as a Test-ODI team may have diminished, but it is still a big force in the T20 format. Caribbean players are known for aggressive cricket. The ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is being held in the West Indies (along with the US) this time. In such a situation, it would be a big mistake to underestimate the claim of Rovman Powell’s Indies team. This time the West Indies team of the tournament looks very strong on paper. It has strong players like Andre Russell, Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer and Romario Shepherd who have the ability to turn the tide of any match.

Only West Indies and England have won the T20 World Cup twice so far. By becoming champions in 2012 and 2016, West Indies became the first team to win the T20 World Cup twice. The interesting thing is that Marlon Samuels played an important role in helping the West Indies team win the trophy both times. Samuels not only became the best player in the final both times, but he also performed brilliantly in the tournament both times.

As talented a player as Jamaican Samuels was, he was also involved in controversies. He was accused of contacting bookies and match fixing, he also got involved in controversies with players of other teams on the field. He has also faced a ban in the suspicious bowling action case. In 2007, Indian police accused Samuels of giving information related to the Caribbean team to a bookie before the India-West Indies match in Nagpur. Police claimed that they had tapped the conversation between this West Indies player and the bookie. Many years later, Samuels was also found guilty of violating the Anti Corruption Code of Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) and last year ICC banned him for 6 years. After this ban, he will not be able to participate in T20 leagues around the world.

Batsman who played for 2 countries, was a part of T20 World Cup, brother and two sisters are also international cricketers

The best players of both the finals of the Indies team

It is sad that such an extremely talented player’s career ended in such a way, although 43-year-old Samuels himself is responsible for this. Samuels, who bowled off-break along with batting, played 71 Tests, 207 ODIs and 67 T20Is for West Indies from 2008 to 2018. He has 3917 runs and 41 wickets in Test cricket, 5606 runs and 89 wickets in ODIs and 1611 runs and 22 wickets in T20Is. This Caribbean player participated in the T20 World Cup in 2007, 2012, 2014 and 2016. Out of these, the West Indies team became champion in 2012 and 2016 and both times Samuels was the Player of the Final.

In 19 innings of 20 matches of T20 World Cup, he remained unbeaten twice and scored 530 runs at an average of 31.17 and took six wickets. In 2 matches of 2007 World Cup, he scored 33 runs at an average of 16.50, in 7 matches of 2012 World Cup, he scored 230 runs at an average of 38.33, in 5 matches of 2014 World Cup, he scored 86 runs at an average of 21.50 and in 6 matches of 2016 World Cup, he scored 181 runs at an average of 36.20.

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Both had scored half centuries in the final matches

In the final of the 2012 T20 World Cup, the West Indies team defeated Sri Lanka by 36 runs. In this match, West Indies batted first and scored 137 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in 20 overs with the help of Samuels’ 78 runs (70 balls, three fours and six sixes). In reply, Sri Lanka was all out for 101 runs in 18.4 overs despite captain Mahela Jayawardene’s 33 and Kumar Sangakkara’s 22 runs. Amidst the brilliant performance of Sunil Narine (3 wickets) and captain Darren Sammy (2 wickets), Samuels also took one wicket for 15 runs in 4 overs and became the best player of the final.

Brothers who played together in T20 World Cup, one pair each from India and Pakistan included

Similarly, in the 2016 T20 World Cup final held in India, the West Indies team defeated England by 4 wickets. At Eden Gardens, England scored 155 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in 20 overs with the help of Joe Root’s 54 and Jos Buttler’s 36 runs. In reply, West Indies won the match with two balls to spare with the help of Samuels’ unbeaten 85 (66 balls, 9 fours and two sixes) and Carlos Braithwaite’s (34 runs, 10 balls, one four and four sixes) hitting 4 consecutive sixes off Ben Stokes’ balls in the last over. Samuels retired from international cricket in November 2020.

Left is right… Left-handed batsmen and bowlers have shone brightly for India in the T20 World Cup

There was a dispute with Shane Warne on the field

Samuels has also been a part of the West Indies team in the 2003, 2007 and 2015 ODI World Cup. In 2013, during Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL), he was embroiled in controversies after getting into a tussle with legendary spinner Shane Warne. During a BBL match, when David Hussey was trying to take a second run, Samuels, who was bowling, tried to stop him by holding his T-shirt. This made Shane Warne very angry. Later, he also pulled the T-shirt of this West Indies player, during which there was abuse between the two players. Later, the umpires intervened and separated the two players.

Tags: ICC T20 world cup, T20 World Cup, West Indies Cricket Team, West Indies Cricketer