Marlon Samuels rubbishes news of his retirement

Dec 31, 2018 at 2:04 PM

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Marlon Samuels rubbishes news of his retirement

West Indies’ two-time World T20 winning batsman Marlon Samuels rubbished the news of his retirement from Test cricket. He addressed the media a day before the  second Test against India starting on July 30 and talked about his desire win a Test match in front of his  home crowd. The second Test will be played at Sabina Park in Kinston.

In the last Test, Samuels scored a fifty against India in the second innings of the match. Samuels said, “You make a half-century, it’s a milestone. You have to cherish it, but at the end of the day, I always want more. I haven’t been getting the runs that I’m looking for in the Test arena, but I’ve been making up in the shorter versions, so it augurs well that I’m doing well for the team as well in the next versions. It’s just, I need to start focusing more and putting in some big performances, so the team can benefit from it,” he said as quoted by Cricbuzz.

At North Sound, Antigua  West Indies lost the first Test by an innings and 92 runs  as India took the lead in the series 1-0 in a four-match series.  Samuels thinks the young West Indies brigade need to play good cricket to beat India .  “It’s a great opportunity for me. Not too many sportsmen get to play in front of their home crowd. I think I’ve got the opportunity more than one time, so I cherish it – playing in front of a Jamaican crowd. As I said, it’s a great opportunity, not only for me but for the team to make a turnaround and come here and play some positive cricket and put up not just a challenge but a fight,” he said.

The right-handed batsman further added,  “Well, first and foremost, I’m not going to be here to tell you that it’s a young team. For me to say that is like finding excuses for the team. It’s a Test team, and Test cricket is big-man cricket, and the players should know that by now. They are here, playing Test cricket. So we all have to step up to the plate, and put up a very good challenge against the Indians. The Indians are a very good team, a very good unit, so what we want to try and do, to build right now, is a team spirit, and build a stronger unit in order [to move forward]. Yes, we have new players coming in, but they still have to deliver. At the end of the day, you have to, to keep your job here.”

Samuels was asked whether there was any extra pressure on him as a senior cricketer, he said,  “To be honest, it’s a lot of pressure. I’m not going to tell you that there’s not a great deal of pressure because I not only have to stand up and score a fifty or a hundred, I have to actually bat through the innings, because I’m playing a role where I’m batting at four. I have to dominate and know, when we lose a wicket, that I need to tone it down. Sometimes I like to, if I’m on the go, just continue to go, but the responsibility is great, so I have to change.

Samuels also said whenever he  get scope he loves to encourage young players of the team,  “But nevertheless, whenever I get the opportunity to talk in a team meeting, trying to just encourage the younger players to go out there… we need to look at not just senior players doing their job, but for them [youngsters] to come and do the job as well. Because, at the end of the day, they’re going to be the senior players as well.”

 

Asked whether West Indies has the ability to equal the margin of the series, Samuels said, “Yes, West Indies more than have it in them. They have pride, and as I said, it’s a job. If you don’t do your job well, you’re not going to be around here.”

Talking about former West Indies wicketkeeper Jeffery Dujon’s comment on him, Samuels said,  “Jeffrey Dujon can say anything. But what I say is, I’m here to focus on the Test series and put my best foot forward, and make a significant contribution, so that, whatever I do, the team can benefit from it. That’s my ultimate goal and that’s my focus at the moment.”

Samuels also made it clear the 19-year-old budding fast bowler Alzarri Joseph would make his debut tomorrow.  “I would definitely play him. He’s Fit, fast and fearless. When are you going to play him, at 25? He’s 19 now, it’s the best time to just let him go and enjoy himself and express himself.”

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