Samuels showed a total disrespect for the game: Ben Stokes

The Ben Stokes – Marlon Samuels’ rivalry seems to have made a lasting impact on the English all-rounder’s mind. It all started when Samuels gave Stokes a send-off after dismissing him in the Grenada Test. They had another faceoff when England fought West Indies in the final of the World T20 2016 in India. The West Indian was sensational on the night and played one of the best knocks an 85 not out to help his team towards the chase.

A UK-based newspaper published extracts from his book ‘Firestarter’ which has detailed mention of his altercation with Samuels during World T20 final in Kolkata. Samuels sledged the England all-rounder and he could not hold his nerves in the crunch moments of the game as Carlos Brathwaite hit him for four consecutive sixes to win the championship.

In the book Stokes has mentioned that the Jamaican batsman’s attitude during and after the final match “showed a total disrespect for the game”, also indicating that Samuels should have avoided character assassination.

“Marlon’s conduct after West Indies’ victory … showed a total disrespect for the game,” Stokes wrote. “Without removing his batting pads, Marlon walked into a press conference, sat down and placed his feet on the desk. Totally lacking manners. It didn’t require him to give me a character assassination – bizarrely claiming I am some sort of ‘nervous laddie’ – to help me form the opinion that I do not like him one bit. I believe in the saying ‘respect the game’. I don’t think he respects the game. Yes, he played an unbelievable innings but, because of our personal history, it stops me short of saying he’s a good player. Team players are the good players in my eyes.”

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He wrote that people will talk about the last over forever but more than his own feelings he was disappointed for the impact it had on the team. “People will talk about Carlos Brathwaite hitting me for four consecutive sixes for the rest of my life. I can deal with that. What I couldn’t handle was losing the game,” he wrote. “We had gone all the way to the tournament’s final over. But in a flash, all that hard graft had come to nothing.”