'I did not say that I am going to stand by any decision' - Samuels hits back at Dwayne Bravo
Marlon Samuels, in a conversation with ESPNcricinfo, has expressed a strong difference of opinion with the statement by West Indies ODI captain Dwayne Bravo that Samuels had given consent to supporting "any decision taken by the team" including calling off the tour of India.
The Jamaican batsman said that all the three parties involved – players, West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and West Indies Players Association (WIPA) – were at fault for the situation coming to such a pass but slammed Wavell Hinds, who is the WIPA president and CEO, in particular. He remarked that Hinds was the “real reason” for the situation to become as “messed up” as it has.
"No, I did not say that I am going to stand by any decision," Samuels said in a telephone conversation on Monday. "Because nobody asked me questions like that. It is up to the individual to say okay I am with you. You had people in the room that didn't even open their mouth or say anything. At the end of the day, I went there and asked my questions and I wasn't satisfied [by the response]. If I was satisfied then I will be the first person to come out because I am an outspoken person. Then I will be the first person to come out and defend everything with [Bravo]."
Samuels’ disagreements with Bravo, at least publicly, started when he said in a radio interview last week that he had wanted “to finish the tour” and that he had spent most of his time “ordering room service” while the rest of the players were busy attending meetings. This led to an angry response from Bravo, who in a statement said that Samuels was as active a member in asking questions during the meetings as anyone else.
Asked Bravo to explain situation to Caribbean public
As per Samuels, however, he asked Bravo to explain to the Caribbean public the exact situation as they were being misled amidst all the farce. When Bravo shied away from doing so, Samuels decided to stay away.
"One of the questions I asked was the public don't really know what is happening," Samuels said. "The public are being misled. They need to know the truth behind this [pullout]. They need to go out there and explain what is really happening. He wasn't willing to go and do that. That is why I say that if you are not up to doing what I want to go there and do, which is the right thing, then you are not going to get my full support. You cannot expect [me] to go and fight a war if you are not willing to go out and speak."
While the 33-year old is not surprised by Bravo’s decision to release a statement, he feels that the best way to sort out this misunderstanding would have been for the latter to call him directly and clear their differences.
"What he should have done, if you are a true leader, is to go out and call the player and ask him did you say things like this," he said.
All three interested parties at fault
Samuels said that all of this could have been avoided had the administrators flown down to India right at the start of the tour and decided to confront the problems of the players in a mature manner.
"All situation is handled badly. Wavell is wrong. The [WICB] president [Dave Cameron] should have taken a flight down to India and come and have a talk. To sit in the Caribbean and not come and speak to the players cannot be the right way to deal with things. So right across the board it is wrong," he stated.
Samuels, though, continues to insist that Hinds needs to accept a majority of the blame.
"If you look at the situation, the real, real person here to be blamed is WIPA. Wavell Hinds, the president, that basically messed up everything. If you look at the situation you can't really blame [the WICB] for accepting what Wavell has done. Wavell is the main problem here. The players are upset with what Wavell has done. But remember I am not part of WIPA."
Left in the cold by WIPA during 2-year ban
Finally, when asked why he was not a part of the WIPA, whose job is to look after the interest of all the players, Samuels said that the only reason was because they had severed ties with him when he was serving a two-year ban for having links with an Indian bookie.
"Since I got the two-year ban I was left in the cold, on my own. I have to get my own lawyer. I have to do everything on my own. WIPA wasn't there for me. So I come back into cricket and choose not to be a part of WIPA because WIPA did not help me. So I do not feel like I should do anything for WIPA."