Ben Stokes slams Marlon Samuels in latest column
Apr 6, 2019 at 2:15 PM
It is a well-known fact that English all-rounder Ben Stokes and West Indian batsman Marlon Samuels share a turbulent history between them. The two mercurial individuals have had heated confrontations several times and do not shy at having a go at each other often. It all began in the Caribbean when Samuels saluted Stokes after he was dismissed. Things reached the top level when the two got into a verbal altercation during the ICC World T20 2016 final at Kolkata.
Stokes, who bowled the last over, needing to defend 19, was clobbered for 4 massive sixes by West Indian all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite. Post that loss, Stokes alleged that Samuels abused him and was doing so throughout the course of the final. In his latest column, Stokes opened up about their exchanges in detail and went on to slam the West Indian batsman.
“Marlon’s conduct after West Indies’ victory showed a total disrespect for the game,” Stokes mentioned. “Without removing his batting pads, Marlon walked into a press conference, sat down and placed his feet on the desk. Totally lacking manners. “It didn’t require him to give me a character assassination – bizarrely claiming I am some sort of ‘nervous laddie’ – to help me form the opinion that I do not like him one bit. “I believe in the saying ‘respect the game’. I don’t think he respects the game. “Yes, he played an unbelievable innings but, because of our personal history, it stops me short of saying he’s a good player. Team players are the good players in my eyes,” the all-rounder quoted.
Opening up on the abuses and foul language, Stokes further added, “I was at mid-off and, in my enthusiasm, found myself creeping in from my position and I noticed that Samuels, at the non-striker’s end, was walking around like the big easy.” “I couldn’t resist. ‘You’ve got a bit of a swagger on here, Marlon, considering you’re 14 for three,’ I said. “‘Shut the f*** up, you little b***h,’ came the reply. “I simply reminded him of the score, and he came back with the same words again.”
England star then opened up about being devastated after conceding four sixes in the final over, which ultimately cost England the world title. “People will talk about Carlos Brathwaite hitting me for four consecutive sixes for the rest of my life. I can deal with that. What I couldn’t handle was losing the game,” he wrote. “It was a numb feeling. I felt hollow. My England teammates were the ones I had affected most with those four deliveries. “We had gone all the way to the tournament’s final over. But in a flash, all that hard graft had come to nothing,” he mentioned.