Biography

A composed and confident right-handed batsman, Jamaican Marlon Samuels is ranked very highly in West Indies cricket. He made his debut in 2000 when he was just 19 and was flown in to Australia straightaway, without even making his representation for Jamaica.

During the series, many critics started comparing Samuels to the legendary Viv Richards. However, the unfair load of expectations proved to be a building block for him and he exuded a calm and cool temperament. However, Samuels was dropped frequently from the side, as he was involved in one controversy after another. The form dipped and injury crept in. He made a comeback in 2005-06 but did little to boost his form and continued to perform poorly in the ODIs. Marlon was reported for a suspect action in 2008 but resumed to bowl from September, 2011.

Later, a dramatic, undefeated hundred against Pakistan in 2006 led to his selection for the World Cup where he showed brief glimpses of his batting. As years passed, the batsman in him grew but he was once again caught in the middle of awkward situations as the ICC banned him for two years in 2008 for match-fixing allegations. Thereafter, he returned to the international circuit in 2011 to face Pakistan in a T20I.

Samuels was the chief orchestrator in setting up West Indies' World Twenty20 final, in 2012 against Sri Lanka with a brilliant 78. In December 2013, deja vu caught up with him as ICC cleared Samuels to bowl his off-spin but deemed his quicker deliveries illegal after he along with Shane Shillingford were reported at the end of the historic Sachin Tendulkar-farewell Test in Mumbai.