Brathwaite’s incredible performance to win the 2016 World Cup for the West Indies has been voted the greatest T20 World Cup performance during a fan vote conducted by ESPNcricinfo.
The Barbadian allrounder turned commentator single-handedly carried the West Indies to glory in the 2016 final at Eden Gardens. With the West Indies needing 19 from the final over against England, Brathwaite struck four massive sixes off Ben Stokes to secure a second title for the Caribbean men. He finished unbeaten on 34 to go along with his impressive figures of 3-23 when England made 155 batting first.
When he came to the crease, the West Indies were in dire straits at 107-6 with 27 balls remaining.
Brathwaite's blitzkrieg garnered 58 per cent of the vote to beat India’s Yuvraj Singh's 70 in the 2007 World Cup semi-final against Australia. According to the cricket website, Brathwaite's performance also emerged top in an internal ESPNcricinfo staff poll, with Yuvraj in joint second alongside Marlon Samuels' 78 & 1-15 in the 2012 final against Sri Lanka.
As the ball sailed through the night sky over the boundary for the winning runs, West Indies commentator Ian Bishop declared "Carlos Brathwaite, remember the name!" The fans did.
Samuels, who back in 2008, was banned for two years after being found guilty following a probe into allegations of links with an illegal bookmaker, has been charged with failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or other benefits that were made or given in circumstances that could bring the Participant or the sport of cricket into disrepute.
He was also slapped with the charge of failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official receipt of hospitality with a value of US $750 or more as well as failing to cooperate with the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation and obstructing or delaying the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation by concealing information that may have been relevant to the investigation.
According to the ICC, the outspoken Jamaican will be given a time period of 14 days to respond to the charges.
Meanwhile, Cricket West Indies said it has been made aware of the development.
In a statement this morning CWI said: “Cricket West Indies (CWI) has been made aware of the charges which have been laid by the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit, involving former West Indies player Marlon Samuels.
“Formal charges have been laid with breaching four counts of the Emirates Cricket Board’s Anti-Corruption Code for participants of the T10 League in Abu Dhabi in 2019.
“While CWI has yet to receive detailed information relating to this ICC investigation, CWI remains firm in denouncing any such activities within the sport, and fully supports the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit in their efforts to rid the sport of all corruption.”
Samuel was convicted after getting caught sharing team information in exchange for money with a bookie before the first ODI against India in Nagpur on January 21, 2007.
The allegations led to the ICC asking the WICB to conduct an investigation which led to his conviction and the two-year ban.
Samuels officially retired from international cricket in November 2020.
Despite having not featured for the Windies since 2018, Samuels only officially retired from international cricket this week. Last week, however, the player made the headlines with vulgar comments regarding Warne, Stokes, and his wife.
The West Indian was heavily criticised by some in the aftermath of the incident, but it seems Samuels is not quite ready to let things go as he has now promised more in an upcoming music track. Samuels, who has transitioned into entertainment with the stage name Icon, recently revealed, via his Instagram account, that the track will be called Worst Enemy.
“Me just finish the baddest diss song with all 4 of them names. There is nothing in this world that I can’t do punks. I will be releasing it to the world, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Caribbean every media house,” wrote Samuels, who has now also included comments about Good Morning Britain television host Piers Morgan on the track. Morgan had also been critical of Samuels in the aftermath of the incident.
“Piers Morgan. How you reach ina this? I can’t remember seeing you around the game of cricket. That’s not how you speak to a legend. Yu need to go take a picture at Lords with my number 7 jersey. Am going live Friday worldlord style. Got some questions to ask,” Samuels said.
The mercurial Samuels played a key role on both occasions the team won the title, managing to put together innings that balanced an abundance of caution at the crease, with scoring aggression when needed.
In 2012, Samuels average a solid 38.33, with a strike rate of 132 en route to the team’s triumph but more importantly top-scored in the final, with 78 from 56 deliveries, giving the West Indies a comfortable win over Sri Lanka.
In 2016, it was Carlos Brathwaite that got the accolades in a thrilling, brutal final-over onslaught in the final against England but it was Samuels who once again top-scored at the other end, his 85 from 66 balls proving just as crucial in the team’s title triumph. For that tournament, Samuels averaged 36.20 with a strike rate of 112.42.
“West Indies will play their brand of cricket, which is all guns blazing, but let us remember in those two World Cups that they won there was a certain Marlon Samuels who was the glue,” Butcher told the Mason and Guest radio program.
“Among all of those stars there was someone who could hold the team together and, when needed, up the scoring rate. What they need to do is to find someone to play that role and play it successfully,” he added.
Among the candidate to do so for the upcoming tournament will be Roston Chase whose performance during the recently concluded CPL saw him force himself into the thoughts of the selectors. For the finalists, St Lucia Kings this season, Chase averaged an impressive 49.55, with a strike rate of 144.33.
“The question will be whether Roston Chase can perform that role to that level on the international stage. This is the international level with the best teams, it’s not the CPL. Marlon Samuels proved, not just on those two occasions, that when things were tough, he was the go-to man.”
This ban is a result of an independent tribunal's findings, and it comes 15 years after Samuels had previously been punished for a similar offense. The ICC found him in violation of several anti-corruption codes during the Abu Dhabi T10.
"Samuels played international cricket for close to two decades, during which he participated in numerous anti-corruption sessions and knew exactly what his obligations were under the Anti-Corruption Codes," said Alex Marshall, the head of ICC's HR and Integrity Unit. "Though he is retired now, Mr. Samuels was a participant when the offenses were committed. The ban of six years will act as a strong deterrent to any participant who intends to break the rules."
The Abu Dhabi T10, being an Emirates Cricket Board-run tournament, operates under its anti-corruption code. The ICC, by their rules, conducts investigations into breaches. Samuels was found guilty on four counts, including failing to disclose the receipt of gifts or benefits that could bring the sport into disrepute, failing to disclose receipt of hospitality with a value of US $750 or more, failing to cooperate with the investigation, and obstructing or delaying the investigation by concealing relevant information.
Samuels' ban takes effect from November 11, 2023. He was initially charged by the ICC in September 2021, and the verdict was reached in August of this year.
Marlon Samuels, who played a pivotal role in West Indies' T20 World Cup victories in 2012 and 2016, announced his retirement in November 2020, having amassed over 11,000 international runs across formats. His career was not without controversy, with a previous two-year ban in 2008 for "receiving money, benefit, or other reward that could bring him or the game of cricket into disrepute."
Samuels, 39, who was named Player of the Match in the finals of the 2012 and 2016 ICC World T20 finals, reportedly informed Cricket West Indies on Wednesday of his decision to end his contentious playing career.
The decision comes on the heels of his public feud with England cricketer Ben Stokes. However, there is nothing to suggest the two issues are related.
Samuels made his Test debut for the West Indies in December 2000 against Australia and went on to play 71 Tests in which he scored 3917 runs at an average of 32.64, having scored seven centuries and 54 half centuries. He played his last Test for the West Indies in 2016.
He also played 207 ODIs in which he amassed 5606 runs, averaging 32.97, and included 10 centuries and 30 half centuries. His played his last ODI in December 2018 against Bangladesh.
He also scored 10 50s in T20 internationals while scoring 1611 runs at an average of 29.29.
It is in this shortest form of the game that he shone most brightly in his roller-coaster career.
His 56-ball 78s against Sri Lanka and his 1 for 15 bowling helped the Windies win the ICC 2012 T20 World Cup final. Four years later, he scored an unbeaten 85 off just 66 balls to help hand the West Indies defeat England to win the 2016 T20 World Cup for a second time.
Samuels last represented the West Indies in T20 internationals in August 2018 against Bangladesh.
His career was also marred by controversy as the ICC banned him for two years after he was found guilty for receiving money from bookies and bringing the game into disrepute. In 2015, he was banned from bowling for a year due to a suspect bowling action.
England were strong favourites to lift the crown heading into the final over, with the Windies needing 19 off the last six balls of the match.
But Brathwaite launched an audacious assault on Stokes, heaving him over the ropes four times in a row to seal a four-wicket success.
Joe Root’s 56 off 36 balls helped England to 155 for nine in their 20 overs at Eden Gardens and that looked like being enough to earn a second T20 World Cup.
Despite Marlon Samuels’ impressive half-century, West Indies were set to fall short going into the final six balls of the match.
But Braithwaite had other ideas and sent four huge hits over the rope to win it in style and follow up their 2012 success.
England went on to thrive in the white-ball game, lifting the 50-over World Cup two years later and winning the T20 World Cup in 2022.
Then in 2016, the outspoken Jamaican scored an unbeaten 85 from 66 balls to help the West Indies pull off a remarkable victory chasing down England’s 155 for 9.
Carlos Brathwaite stole the show at the end with his unbeaten 34 from just 10 balls and which included four consecutive sixes in the final over bowled by Ben Stokes, but it was Samuels who kept the West Indies in the game after they had stumbled to 107-6 and needing 49 from just 27 balls.
Samuels has since retired, but the West Indies might already have a replacement in their camp in the form of Roston Chase.
The lanky Barbadian believes he is the man to take over that very important role as the West Indies go in search of a third consecutive title.
“I see myself playing a similar role,” Chase said while speaking with the media from the West Indies training base in Dubai on Thursday.
“I played for the St Lucia franchise for the past two years where I come in mostly after the Powerplay and knock it around and pick up the ones and twos and the occasional boundary when the ball is in my area to score so it’s an easy role for me.
“I like that role and with the power-hitting guys that we have, my role is just to give them the strike and let them do their thing but if the ball is in my area I will put it away.”
Chase demonstrated as much during the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League in the summer when, after a slow start to the season, he was among the league's leading run-scorers with 446 runs. Those runs came at a remarkable average of 49.55 and strike rate of 144.33.
That success, he revealed, came as the result of an adjustment he made to the way he was playing.
“Early on in this year’s CPL, the pitches were a bit difficult. They had a lot of grass but the grass was kind of spongy. It wasn’t like even grass for the ball to slide on. The ball was bouncing a bit; that was a bit hard so I just thought that after the first couple of matches I was trying to go at the ball a bit too hard. It was a wicket that you needed time to get in first and then it became easier,” he explained.
“So that is what I told myself after the first couple of games, just give myself a bit of time at the crease and then let my stroke play take over from there.”
He might have to make another adjustment for the pitch in Dubai where the West Indies will open the defence of their title on October 23 against England.
“We’ve had three training sessions so far and basically, the pitches have been coming on pretty good. The only issue I see with the pitches is that they’re keeping low, so you probably have to stay low when you’re executing your shots and that should work but the pitches are coming on a lot nicer than the ones we usually get in the CPL, so it should be a bit easier to get some runs,” he said.
The 40-year-old former batsman retired from the sport in 2020 but was charged by the ICC on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) for breaching the anti-corruption code during his participation in the 2019 T10 league.
Samuels was charged on four counts of breaching the code relating to:
A breach of Article 2.4.2 – Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or other benefit that was made or given in circumstances that could bring the Participant or the sport of cricket into disrepute.
A breach of Article 2.4.3 - Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official receipt of hospitality with a value of US $750 or more.
Breaches of Article 2.4.6 – Failing to cooperate with the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation.
Breaches of Article 2.4.7 – Obstructing or delaying the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation by concealing information that may have been relevant to the investigation.
Samuels who had 14 days to contest the charges has since hired legal representation and informed the ICC of his intent to content the allegations brought against him.
Big hitter Carlos Brathwaite stole the spotlight with four straight sixes off the unfortunate Stokes in the final over, but at the other end, Samuels’ man-of-the-match 85 runs from 66 balls innings provided the backbone for the team.
According to Sammy, Samuels who came to the crease at 11 for 3 and with things looking grim for the Windies, revealed he had received added motivation.
“Marlon told us something, and maybe Root could confirm that when Marlon came in at 11-3. He came to bowl and he said something like ‘you guys, I would like to see you come out of this one’ and Marlon was just taking his time, making sure that comment, whatever he (Ben Stokes) said to him as he walked in, that got him really focused,” Sammy said in a recent interview with Sky Sports’ Cricket Watch in a segment that discussed the tournament. England batsman Joe Root, the team’s vice-captain at the time, did not seem convinced Samuels was telling the truth.
“It would have been a good effort because Ben was at long-on, so I don’t know how that happened. He might have just made it up,” Root added.
Sticking to his guns, Sammy insisted that the event was quite possible.
“When he was bowling to him, Ben Stokes was bowling an over to him and he said something to Marlon during that time. Because Marlon told us about it. He was really pumped. If you notice, in the back end, Marlon said something to him after that. But it’s all cricket man.”
Samuels, who was charged by the ICC (in its capacity as the Designated Anti-Corruption Official under the ECB Code) in September 2021, has been found guilty after he exercised his right to a hearing before the Tribunal.
The Tribunal will now consider the submissions of each party before deciding on the appropriate sanction to be imposed. The decision will follow in due course.
Samuels has been found guilty of:
Article 2.4.2 (by a majority decision) – Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or other benefit that was made or given in circumstances that could bring the Participant or the sport of cricket into disrepute.
Article 2.4.3 (unanimous decision)- Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official receipt of hospitality with a value of US $750 or more.
Article 2.4.6 (unanimous decision) – Failing to cooperate with the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation.
Article 2.4.7 (unanimous decision) – Obstructing or delaying the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation by concealing information that may have been relevant to the investigation.
Recently, disparaging public outbursts directed towards other players from veteran West Indies players Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels has brought the issue of player discipline once again to the fore. In addressing the matter, CWI president Ricky Skerritt had previously expressed disappointment with the incidents.
Outside of just the latest incidents, however, the region has had a long history of players choosing to air grievances in a public manner. While some have suggested the implementation of public fines for instances of bringing the sport into disrepute as a solution, things can get more complex when the players are not directly contracted to the CWI. Grave believes the best solution lies in a cultural shift.
“Individual cricketers that are outside of the framework of our cricket or contractual system can clearly talk openly and freely,” Grave told the Mason and Guest radio show.
“What I’d really want, rather than the ability to punish players, is to be able to create a culture of mutual trust and respect between all the stakeholders. So, if there are disagreements or disputes, they are appropriately dealt with inhouse, and if we have to agree to disagree every now and again that will happen,” he added.
“I’d much rather have a culture within Cricket West Indies of mutual respect where we are not relying on a code of conduct or punishment.”
