KINGSTON – Batting star Marlon Samuels is predicting a cricket revival in the Caribbean as a result of the West Indies recent title triumph at the ICC World Twenty20 Tournament in Sri Lanka.
Samuels, who played a leading role in the Windies 36-run victory over Sri Lanka in the final, said he believed the side’s success would magnify cricket’s appeal in the region.
“That’s why I play so hard, because I know that having a world title will bring back a lot of things,” said Samuels in an interview with The Gleaner newspaper.
“My role is to take it as serious as possible and work as hard as possible so that I can inspire others to the game and to reach to my level because cricket has its own superstars as well.”
Some analysts have said cricket in the Caribbean was on the brink of resurgence after years in the doldrums and Samuels believed the T20 success would rekindle interest in the sport especially among kids.
“I think kids lost a lot of interest in the game because there wasn’t enough hope. They had lost all hope, the West Indies team wasn’t doing too well.”
The 31-year-old Jamaican also lamented the earning potential of cricketers who competed in the domestic season in the region.
He pointed to Australia as an example where cricketers who did not make the national side could earn a living playing in the domestic league.
“In the West Indies, you are taking a chance with your life coming out of high school and saying that you are going to play cricket. There are no guarantees and if you look at the countless players who come in for one game and get thrown out, it’s amazing,” said Samuels.
“I have seen more than 50 players come and go; some may come on a one tour, fail and never make it back, while others play two games and that’s it.” (CMC)
