(Jamaica Observer) Legendary former West Indies cricket captain Sir Vivian Richards has rejected the `Don’ metaphor ascribed by Sir Hilary Beckles to Jamaican Christopher Gayle and has also clarified his position on Marlon Samuels.
Antiguan Sir Viv, 59, a veteran of 121 Test matches and 187 One-Day Internationals for the West Indies between 1974 and 1991, also rushed to state that he had nothing personal against the stylish right-hander Samuels and did not dislike him, as many have said.
“A lot of folks always felt that I had this thing against Marlon Samuels and that I hated him. It’s nothing like that. I was the one who brought him to light. I was the one who saw him when he played at Melbourne and said this kid is good enough, but I just felt that his discipline wasn’t good enough,” said the man known throughout his cricket career as the ‘Master Blaster’ for his destructive and fearless batting style.
Here to promote a Responsible Drinking campaign by Johnnie Walker under the theme, ‘Be a giant, don’t drink and drive’, Richards said in an interview at the Observer yesterday that had Samuels sorted out some of his shortcomings earlier, he would have been a world star by now.
“Regardless of how talented Marlon Samuels is, he has wasted much of his time. I believe that Marlon should be one of the major players now, based upon how he plays. He should also be playing in the IPL (Indian Premier league).
“I believe that his discipline would have hampered his career and I have no regrets saying this, having worked with him for a few years.
“If Marlon changes his whole attitude towards what he wants to achieve in life and stops the little things that get into the way, he can become one of the better players, not just in West Indies cricket, but world cricket… that’s how talented that guy is.
“I will say this over and over again, I have no animosity toward Marlon Samuels. The thing which I hate more than anything else is his discipline… that sort of stuff doesn’t get you far,” said Sir Viv, who compiled 8,540 Test runs at an average of 50.23 and 6,721 ODI runs and came away with a 47 average. He remains the only West Indies captain never to have lost a Test series.
Sir Viv said he was willing to work alongside Samuels in an attempt to raise his cricket to a higher level, as the 30-year-old makes a second attempt at re-establishing himself on the international cricket scene, following a two-year suspension for irregular contact with an Indian businessman, whom International Cricket Council (ICC) officials called an illegal bookmaker. He returned to first-class cricket in May 2010 at the end of the ban.
“I’m willing to speak to Marlon and if he came at any point and asked me anything, I will be quite willing to help, because I think he needs help on the discipline side of things,” Richards said.
A former West Indies coach and manager, Sir Viv moved to send Samuels home from India on the ground of indiscipline during the 2002-2003 tour, but the West Indies Board, under then president Rev Wes Hall, overruled the decision.
“When I was in India I felt that Marlon broke a lot of the rules and we wanted to send him home. I still believe that that was the best thing for us to have done at that time, but the Board said otherwise.
“That wasn’t an opportunity to sideline him for good; that was just a disciplinary act, hoping that he would… see the light and do the necessary things that it takes not just to become a better player, because he is a good player, but for him to enhance what that talent is all about,” Sir Viv said.
Samuels missed out on a place for the West Indies in the first Test against Pakistan now underway in Guyana.
He has played 29 Tests with 1,408 runs at an average of 28.73 and 112 ODIs, compiling 2,570 runs at the slightly better average of 29.88.
His scored 853 runs in nine matches on his return to regional cricket this year, emerging as the top scorer in the four-day championship, which earned him a recall to the West Indies 20/20, ODI and Test squads.
Sir Viv also expressed his disappointment with comments made by Principal of the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies, Professor Hilary Beckles, who likened Jamaica and West Indies batsman Chris Gayle to former Tivoli Gardens ‘Don’, Christopher “Dudus” Coke.
“I felt that because of all the stuff that we would have heard reported about ‘Dudus’ and Tivoli Gardens, the name ‘Don’ doesn’t sound that well to link a Chris Gayle to,” Sir Viv said.
He, however, did not agree with calls by the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) for Beckles to be removed as a director of the WICB.
“The statement was a little far-fetched. I read the papers and saw WIPA saying that Beckles should resign, but wow, I don’t know those guys in WIPA now to spell that word.
“It takes two sides to try and sort out the problems in West Indies cricket. I’m just surprised… because I’ve called for individuals in WIPA to do exactly what they’re asking for, so I’m surprised now that they’re not suffering from amnesia anymore,” Sir Viv said.
