 Samuels playing for Chicago Tornadoes in 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Marlon Nathaniel Samuels | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1981-02-05)5 February 1981 (age 45) Kingston, Jamaica | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-armoff break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Top-order batsman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Robert Samuels (brother) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 237) | 15 December 2000 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 30 October 2016 v Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 103) | 4 October 2000 v Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 14 December 2018 v Bangladesh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 7 (previously 52) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 15) | 28 June 2007 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 5 August 2018 v Bangladesh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 7 (previously 52) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996/97–2013/14 | Jamaica | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011/12 | Duronto Rajshahi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Pune Warriors India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012/13 | Melbourne Renegades | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Antigua Hawksbills | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | St Kitts and Nevis Patriots | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Comilla Victorians | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016/17–2017/18 | Leeward Islands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Peshawar Zalmi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Delhi Daredevils(squad no. 77) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | St Lucia Stars | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Source:ESPNcricinfo,14 December 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Marlon Nathaniel Samuels (born 5 February 1981) is a Jamaican formercricketer who played internationally for theWest Indies in all three formats, and a former ODI captain. He is a right-handed middle order batsman and an off-spinner. He was a key member of the West Indies team that won the2012 ICC World Twenty20 and2016 ICC World Twenty20, and was named man of the match in the final of both tournaments, becoming the first man to achieve the feat, and to this date remains the only man to do so.
Samuels made his Test debut in Australia in 2000, and hisOne Day International debut against Sri Lanka inNairobi during theICC Knockout Trophy the same year.
In 2013 he was named one of theWisden Cricketers of the Year.[1] He was one of the franchise players for the inauguralCaribbean Premier League.[2] In 2016 theWest Indies Cricket Board named Samuels as the ODI Player of the Year and the Cricketer of the Year.[3]
On 4 November 2020, Samuels announced his retirement from professional cricket.[4][5] He had already informedCWI about his retirement in June 2020.
During January 1981, Samuels was born in Kingston to parents Philip and Daphne. He has seven siblings; four brothers and three sisters. He is also the younger brother ofRobert Samuels, a former cricketer who played for the Windies.[6] Additionally, he attendedKingston College and soon became a member of theMelbourne Cricket Club.[7]
During the West Indiestour of Australia, on 9 October 2005, Samuels registered his highest first-class score with an innings of 257. It was made in a tour match againstQueensland at the Gabba. His effort was a record score at the ground, beatingMartin Love's 250. Showing his allround abilities, he followed it up with 5 wickets in the next innings.[8][9]
TheBangladesh Cricket Board founded the six-teamBangladesh Premier League in 2012, a twenty20 tournament to be held in February that year.[10] An auction was held for teams to buy players,[11] and Samuels was bought by theDuronto Rajshahi for $360,000.[12] He was the team's highest run-scorer with 242 from 11 innings in the competition.[13] In February 2012, Samuels signed a contract withPune Warriors India to play for them in the 2012 and 2013Indian Premier League (IPL).[14] The2012 IPL clashed with Australia's tour of the West Indies, and Samuels was granted permission to skip the three Test series and play in the league.[15] During the tournament, he was reported for having a suspect bowling action, and was suspended from bowling for the rest of the competition.[16]
In October 2012, Samuels was selected for theMelbourne Renegades in the 2012/2013Big Bash T20 League.[17]
Samuels helpedPeshawar Zalmi to win the2017 Pakistan Super League,[18] and Kowloon Cantons to win the2017 Hong Kong T20 Blitz.[19] Despite his then recent success, he was not selected until the 8th round of the2017 Caribbean Premier League draft, when he was picked up by theSt Lucia Stars.[20]
Samuels first played for the Windies at two successiveU19 Cricket World Cups. During theWest Indies' 2000 tour of Australia, Samuels scored 60 not out and 46 at theMelbourne Cricket Ground, in his second Test match.[7] He went on to score his maiden Test hundred at Kolkata against the Indians in 2002/03. His innings of 104 helped the West Indies to draw the third Test and was made against the likes ofJavagal Srinath,Anil Kumble andHarbhajan Singh. His first ODI century came in the series which followed and turned out to be a series winning innings. With the series level at 3–3 going into the final match at Vijayawada on 24 November 2002, Samuels struck an unbeaten 108 from 75 balls. The West Indies finished with a total of 315/6 and won the match by 135 runs.[21]
He played in two Tests on the tour of Australia in 2005, with a highest score of 29, before he was sent home with a knee injury.[22]
Against Pakistan at Multan in late 2006, Samuels scored his second ODI century. His unbeaten 100 led the West Indies to victory as they successfully chased the Pakistani total.[23] He fell just short of another century a month later against the Indians in Chennai but his quick fire 98 helped his side chase down India's 268. Samuels was involved in the run-out ofBrian Lara in his last international match, against England during the2007 World Cup. Lara was on 18, when Samuels signalled for a quick run but was unable to reach the other wicket in time asKevin Pietersen underarmed the ball to hit the stumps. After the World Cup, the West Indiestoured England in May. Unexpectedly Samuels was not initially included in the squad for the Test leg,[24] but was called up as a replacement whenRamnaresh Sarwan suffered an injury.[25] On 4 July Samuels made 77 runs from 104 balls against England in the second Natwest ODI. He and Shivnarine Chanderpaul scored a record third wicket partnership of 175 runs at Edgbaston in a game West Indies won.
In December 2007, Samuels was named man of the match after scoring 94 and 40 in the first Test against South Africa in Port Elizabeth, a match the West Indies won by 128 runs.[26] He went on to score his second Test hundred, in the final match, hitting 105 although it wasn't enough for his side to win the match or the series.
On 25 February 2008 Samuels was suspended from bowling in international cricket until he corrects his bowling action, which has been deemed suspect.[27] Indian police accused Samuels of giving out team information to a known bookie prior to the 1st ODI between the West Indies and India in Nagpur on 21 January 2007. It was claimed that they have taped telephone conversations between a bookmaker, Mukesh Kochchar, and Samuels.[28] The transcript was later released by the police.[29] After a hearing into the matter, in May the International Cricket Council enforced a two-year ban on the 27-year-old for "receiving money, or benefit or other reward that could bring him or the game of cricket into disrepute".[30] Samuels maintained his innocence.[31]
Samuels' two-year ban expired on 9 May 2010, and he subsequently returned to playing for Jamaica. West-Indian chief selectorClyde Butts stated that the door was open for Samuels to serve theWindies in international cricket provided that he proved himself on the domestic circuit.[32] During the2011 World Cup in February and March, all-rounderDwayne Bravo suffered an injury and the West Indies Cricket Board asked Samuels to fly out to act as a replacement. Samuels declined, stating that he did not yet feel ready, but that he was targeting a return duringIndia's tour of the West Indies in June and July.[33]
The West Indians were knocked out from the quarter-finals of the World Cup, and in the team's first engagement after washosting Pakistan in April and May. When the T20I squad was announced, four uncapped players were included and Samuels was recalled, marking a return to the squad for the first time since the expiration of his ban.[34] Samuels returned to the Test side for the second Test and scored a half-century in his first innings.[35]
Samuels was selected in the West Indies Test squad to tour England after the IPL.[15] In the first Test Samuels combined with Chanderpaul in a 157-run stand.[36] However, with England batting on the final day to win the match Samuels was asked to bowl. His part-time off spin was called upon as the West Indies had entered the match without a specialist spinner, whileShannon Gabriel was injured andFidel Edwards ineffective.[37] Samuels scored his third Test century in his next innings,[38] and combined with captainDarren Sammy to score 204 runs, the second-highest partnership for the West Indies' seventh wicket.[39]
Samuels was named man of the match in the final of the2012 ICC World Twenty20, in which the West Indies beat Sri Lanka by 36 runs to claim the title. He scored 78 off 56 balls, an innings which included six sixes and three fours.[40] For his performances in 2012, he was named in the Test XI and T20I XI of the year by ESPNcricinfo.[41]
During the pool match against Zimbabwe in2015 Cricket World Cup, Samuels scored his 8th ODI century. He along with Chris Gayle scored record breaking 372 run for the second wicket, which is the highest ever partnership for any wicket in ODIs. In the match, Gayle recorded first double century in World Cup history as well.[42][43]
Samuels was also named man of the match in the final of the2016 ICC World Twenty20 in which he scored an unbeaten 85 off 66 balls to help West Indies beat England by 4 wickets and capture their second World Twenty20 title.[44][45] Samuels was later named as the 2016 West Indies' ODI Player of the Year and Cricketer of the Year.[46]
During the first test at Galle in 2015, Samuels was again reported about suspect bowling action. The action was found to be illegal for the second time and Samuels was banned from bowling in international arena for 12 months.[47] His bowling action was cleared on 16 February 2017 by the ICC with the permitted 15-degree limit.[48]
On 4 November 2016, Samuels was dropped from the ODI squad for2016–17 Zimbabwe Tri-Series due to poor performances in tests against Pakistan in October.[49]
On 24 February 2017, Samuels discussed with WICB about the omission him from West Indies squad and suggested he could accept a Kolpak deal in county cricket.[50] However, on 21 August 2017, WICB took the decision to include Samuels along with Gayle to return ODIs for the seriesagainst England.[51]
In September 2021, Samuels was charged with breaching the ICC anti-corruption code,[52] for his time playing in theAbu Dhabi T10 in 2019.[53] In August 2023, Samuels was found guilty of four anti-corruption charges under theEmirates Cricket Board Anti-Corruption Code. In November 2023, Samuels was banned from all forms of cricket for six years.[54]
Samuels was involved in a controversy during theMelbourne derby on 6 January 2012 against theShane Warne-ledMelbourne Stars; during the Stars' innings, Samuels held backDavid Hussey at the non-striker's end when the batters were trying to take a second run off Samuels' bowling. Warne reacted angrily to this when he was later bowling to Samuels himself swearing and cursing; he continuously sledged Samuels, asking if he was going "grab hold of my shirt too, Marlon?" The incident escalated when Warne threw a cricket ball on Samuels, who responded by throwing his bat away. This led to an angry confrontation between the two mid-pitch. Both players were suspended, but Samuels missed the rest of the BBL season in any case, as he received an injury due to a bouncer fromLasith Malinga in the same game.[55][56] The pair have been far from kind about each other in interviews since this incident.[57]
Samuels also has something of a feud withBen Stokes; this began during theEngland cricket tour to the West Indies 2014–15. In the Second Test match, in which Samuels scored a century, he mocked Stokes' attempts to distract him with sledging as he batted, saying that it only concentrated his mind on the job in hand.[58] When Stokes was then dismissed for 8 on Day 3 of the same match, Samuels saluted the departing batsman.[59]
The feud resurfaced during the final of the 2016 ICC World Twenty20, during which Samuels scored a crucial 85. Stokes bowled the final over of the match toCarlos Brathwaite, with Samuels at the non-striker's end. After Brathwaite hit 4 sixes to win the game for the West Indies, Samuels claimed that Stokes "never learns".[60]
Tensions again arose between Samuels and Stokes in 2020; Stokes, who had been forced toquarantine while visiting his family in New Zealand during theCOVID-19 pandemic, later joked that the experience of isolation had been so tough "he wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy" – when asked if he included Samuels in that statement, he responded "no, it's that bad".[61] Samuels responded on his social media with an expletive-laden post referencing Stokes' wife,[62] which drew a negative response from many in the cricketing world.[63] Among those to respond was Shane Warne, who told Samuels that he "needs serious help".[64] Samuels again took to social media to respond, mocking Warne for having plastic surgery.[65][non-primary source needed]
Samuels features along with eighteen other cricketers upon a mural atSabina Park which aims to illustrate the spirit of Jamaican cricket.[66]
Samuels has scored sevencenturies in Test matches and ten in One Day Internationals. His highest Test score of 260 came againstBangladesh atSheikh Abu Naser Stadium,Khulna in November 2012 and his highest ODI score of 133* came againstZimbabwe atManuka Oval,Canberra in February 2015.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| * | Remainednot out |
| † | Man of the match |
| Match | Matches played |
| Pos. | Position in thebatting order |
| Inn. | Theinnings of the match |
| Test | The number of the Test match played in that series |
| S/R | Strike rate during the innings |
| H/A/N | Venue was at home (West Indies), away or neutral |
| Date | Date the match was held, or the starting date of match for Test matches |
| Lost | The match was lost by West Indies |
| Won | The match was won by West Indies |
| Drawn | The match wasdrawn |
| No. | Score | Against | Pos. | Inn. | Test | Venue | H/A/N | Date | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 104 |  India | 7 | 2 | 3/3 | Eden Gardens,Kolkata | Away | 30 October 2002 | Drawn | [68] |
| 2 | 121 |  South Africa | 4 | 3 | 3/3 | Sahara Stadium Kingsmead,Durban | Away | 10 January 2008 | Lost | [69] |
| 3 | 144 |  England | 6 | 1 | 2/3 | Trent Bridge,Nottingham | Away | 25 May 2012 | Lost | [70] |
| 4 | 123 † |  New Zealand | 4 | 2 | 2/2 |  Sabina Park,Kingston | Home | 2 August 2012 | Won | [71] |
| 5 | 260 † |  Bangladesh | 4 | 2 | 2/2 | Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium,Khulna | Away | 21 November 2012 | Won | [72] |
| 6 | 101 | South Africa | 4 | 2 | 2/3 | St George's Park Cricket Ground,Port Elizabeth | Away | 26 December 2014 | Drawn | [73] |
| 7 | 103 | England | 4 | 1 | 2/3 |  National Cricket Stadium,St. George's | Home | 21 April 2015 | Lost | [74] |
| No. | Score | Against | Pos. | Inn. | S/R | Venue | H/A/N | Date | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 108 † | India | 5 | 1 | 144.00 | Indira Gandhi Stadium,Vijayawada | Away | 24 November 2002 | Won | [76] |
| 2 | 100* † |  Pakistan | 4 | 2 | 101.01 | Multan Cricket Stadium,Multan | Away | 13 December 2006 | Won | [77] |
| 3 | 101* † | New Zealand | 4 | 1 | 98.06 | Sabina Park,Kingston | Home | 7 July 2012 | Won | [78] |
| 4 | 126 † | Bangladesh | 3 | 2 | 84.56 | Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium,Mirpur | Away | 5 December 2012 | Won | [79] |
| 5 | 106* † | Pakistan | 4 | 1 | 101.92 |  Darren Sammy Cricket Ground,Gros Islet | Home | 21 July 2013 | Won | [80] |
| 6 | 126* † | India | 4 | 1 | 108.62 | Kaloor Stadium,Kochi | Away | 8 October 2014 | Won | [81] |
| 7 | 112 | India | 4 | 2 | 105.66 | Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium,Dharamsala | Away | 17 October 2014 | Lost | [82] |
| 8 | 133* |  Zimbabwe | 3 | 1 | 85.26 |  Manuka Oval,Canberra | Neutral | 24 February 2015 | Won | [83] |
| 9 | 110* † |  Sri Lanka | 5 | 1 | 115.79 | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium,Pallekele | Away | 7 November 2015 | Lost | [84] |
| 10 | 125 † | Australia | 4 | 1 | 93.28 |  Kensington Oval,Bridgetown | Home | 21 June 2016 | Lost | [85] |
In 2020, Samuels launched his first fragrance, named Sextillion.[86][87] Since 2013, he has also supported blind charities in the Caribbean, especially in his native Jamaica, through the Marlon Samuels Foundation.[88][89][90] He hopes that he will be able to adapt the focus of the foundation's work towards fighting breast cancer in the near future. As his career has wound down, Samuels has also begun to focus on the music industry; he has released songs to his YouTube channel under the stage-name Icon7.[91]
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