Samuels not bothered by Lehmann incident

Melbourne, Jan 2 (IANS/CMC) West Indies all-rounder Marlon Samuels remains unperturbed by the criticism of his bowling action, Melbourne Renegades coach Simon Helmot has said.

Samuels’s action was last week questioned by Brisbane Heat coach Darren Lehmann, who attracted a suspended Australian $3,000 fine from Cricket Australia for his comments, reports CMC.

Helmot said the Jamaican had already put the incident behind him.

“He hasn’t worried about them (comments) at all. He has pushed them to the side. Nothing much fazes Marlon,” said Helmot.

“We all have feelings. You don’t like those sort of things being said. He’s a terrific person around the Renegades’ environment. He’s a calming influence, even on the ground. He’s pretty relaxed.”

Following Brisbane’s five-wicket loss to Samuels’s Renegades, Lehmann slammed Samuels’s action, especially targeting the off-spinner’s faster ball.

He said he had passed on his concerns to umpires.

Lehmann was subsequently reported to Cricket Australia for his comments, and was subsequently charged and found guilty.

Samuels will now turn his attention to the clash with Adelaide Strikers, who boast his Windies teammate Kieron Pollard in their line up.

Helmot said he was looking forward to the showdown, noting the Caribbean players had brought a special element to the Big Bash.

“There’s some pride at stake with these (West Indian) guys. It’s fantastic. They give some great enthusiasm to the competition,” he said.