Samuels again refutes Bravo’s version of events

West Indies

West Indies all-rounder Marlon Samuels has again spoken out against the abandonment of the tour to India, disputing Dwayne Bravo’s version of events and saying all parities, including the players, handled the situation badly.

The players withdrew from their India tour due to a dispute with their Players’ Association, regarding a salary deal made with with WICB. Samuels, not a member of WIPA, said he hadn’t wanted to leave and didn’t attend most of the meetings.

Bravo, the spokesman for the group, refuted that, saying Samuels had been a vocal part of the meetings before the decision to leave, but Samuels says he attended two meetings and was not satisfied with the answers to his questions. He says he never attended the rest.

Samuels told Cricinfo: “No, I did not say that I am going to stand by any decision (to leave). Because nobody asked me questions like that. It is up to the individual to say okay I am with you. You had people in the room that didn’t even open their mouth or say anything.

“At the end of the day, I went there and asked my questions and I wasn’t satisfied [by the response]. If I was satisfied then I will be the first person to come out because I am an outspoken person. Then I will be the first person to come out and defend everything with [Bravo].”

The all-rounder said his biggest issue was a lack of transparency from all involved, and he urged Bravo to tell the public the real story. Samuels felt the blame really belonged to WIPA president Wavell Hinds, who had made the original salary deal, apparently without consulting the players.

Samuels added: “One of the questions I asked was the public don’t really know what is happening. The public are being misled. They need to know the truth behind this [pullout]. They need to go out there and explain what is really happening.

“He (Bravo) wasn’t willing to go and do that. That is why I say that if you are not up to doing what I want to go there and do, which is the right thing, then you are not going to get my full support. You cannot expect [me] to go and fight a war if you are not willing to go out and speak.”

He continued: “I am not basically swinging with nobody in this matter. If you cannot go out and talk it as it is then I am not up to it.

“All situation is handled badly. Wavell is wrong. The [WICB] president [Dave Cameron] should have taken a flight down to India and come and have a talk.

“To sit in the Caribbean and not come and speak to the players cannot be the right way to deal with things. So right across the board it is wrong.

“If you look at the situation, the real, real person here to be blamed is WIPA. Wavell Hinds, the president, that basically messed up everything. If you look at the situation you can’t really blame [the WICB] for accepting what Wavell has done.

“Wavell is the main problem here. The players are upset with what Wavell has done. But remember I am not part of WIPA.”

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