Marlon Samuels smashed West Indies to an incredible World Twenty20 final win over England then teed off at Shane Warne with even more vigour.
Samuels finished 85 not out from 66 balls on Sunday, helping West Indies haul in their target of 156 after they’d slumped to 3-11 in the Kolkata decider.
The veteran, who has had a running battle with Warne since an ugly confrontation during a Big Bash League match in 2013, dedicated his man-of-the-match award to the Australian icon.
“I played a Test series in Australia (recently) and every day, Shane Warne has a problem with me,” Samuels told reporters.
“I’ve never disrespected him.
“I don’t know. Maybe because my face is real and his face is not?”
Samuels’ spray followed a superb display of pressure-laden power hitting from Carlos Brathwaite, who finished the match with two balls to spare by clubbing four consecutive sixes off Ben Stokes after needing 19 runs off the final over.
Brathwaite’s fourth blow was downright insulting, coming when his side needed one run from three balls but the heaving Eden Gardens crowd demanded more.
The allrounder’s salvo meant West Indies finished 6-161 in response to England’s 9-155.
The squad almost spilled onto the field prematurely after Brathwaite’s third six before finally sprinting out.
Wild scenes followed.
They danced the ‘champion’ dance as Dwayne Bravo’s song boomed, while the Windies women’s team joined in as they continued their own celebrations having beaten Australia in the curtain-raiser.
They danced through a lap of honour but captain Darren Sammy got serious in the post-match ceremony, speaking emotionally about how his team had been “disrespected” by their own cricket board.
Samuels was less graceful on the dais.
“Shane Warne has been talking continuously and all I want to say is ‘this (man-of-the-match award) is for Shane Warne’,” the veteran said.
“I answer with the bat and not the mic.”
Except Samuels couldn’t help himself in front of the microphones,
He sat down for the post-match press conference, leaned back then planted his feet on the table and gave it to Warne.
“I don’t appreciate the way he continues to talk to about me,” the 35-year-old said.
“Seems as if he has a lot inside him that he needs to come out.”
The legendary legspinner described Samuels’ dismissal in the World T20 semi as “embarrassing” and “pretty poor” and was similarly critical during the 2015-16 Test series in Australia.
This time around, Warne congratulated Samuels on Twitter.
Samuels also fired some barbs at Stokes, who he has rowed with in the past.
“Stokes is a nervous lad, isn’t he? I told Brathwaite … he’s going to bowl a couple of full tosses. As always,” Samuels said.
“And it worked in our favour.
“He (Stokes) doesn’t learn.”
England captain Eoin Morgan felt for the flame-haired allrounder.
“He is going to be devastated .. it is cruel,” Morgan said.
“We share the pain, share the success.
“I can’t fault anything we did with the ball or in the field tonight .. we let ourselves down tremendously with the bat.”
Julian King
Roar Guru
You misunderstand me Daniel. I'm no Warne apologist, but please don't conflate Warne's drug suspension with his observations on Samuels. They are completely separate issues. He deserved his drug suspension but I respect him as cricketing brain, even if I sometimes disagree with his comments. Warne's opinion on Samuels, far from being exclusive, is shared by many pundits. The issue here is not about Warne, it's about a professional not living up to his talent. If criticism motivates him, fantastic, but he shouldn't have to rely on a siege mentality. It was a fine innings which I acknowledge. Warne did too.
VivGilchrist
Guest
Exactly. They are good at T20 because that's all that most of them do.
VivGilchrist
Guest
No class, no respect for the game, no maturity. Who does he think he is? Here is a man that has played 64 Tests with an average of 33. He averaged 7, yes 7, in his last series vs Australia. My point? He's carrying on as if he's got the aura of Viv, yet he's not fit to even wear the same badge as the man. He is an insult to WI and the people that support them. Go home and we hope you never represent them again.
daniel
Guest
Being a drug cheat to make the world cup team is more of a weak professional than anything else. I know you love warne I've read a few of your articles. To forget all the things he's done and call Marlon Samuels a weak professional is weak by you I feel.
Jay
Guest
Did you hear the speech? They want to play for WI save the board controversies.
Warnie's Love Child
Guest
Samuels said he never disrespected Shane Warne. But he sure as hell disrespected Test Cricket by the way he played when the Windies were here during the summer.
Julian King
Roar Guru
It was a fine innings but that doesn't take away from the fact that he's a mediocre cricketer who for a large portion of his career has demonstrated a lazy attitude to the game. If Samuels needs Warne's comments to motivate him to perform, in a World T20 final no less, then he's a weak professional.
Don Freo
Guest
It is not the "best Carribean athletes heading" there. The OLDEST Carribean athletes that are heading there.
Gordon Smith
Guest
What is remarkable is that Samuels has now won 2 man of the match awards for world cup 20/20 finals. Four years ago against Sri Lanka in the final he scored 78 and took 1 for 15 of 4 overs. Whatever you think of him that is a remarkable achievement from a "pretender".
Goose Step
Guest
Samuels needed to be told off in that BBL game because he was prancing around the field like he was a superstar making a guest appearance. Warne basically told him otherwise and tried to make him accountable as a cricketer. Samuels obviously has never been told that he is not that special and needs to try a little harder. He felt humiliated & still harbours resentment towards Warne for doing what his parents should have done when he was a child. I don't know how anyone can compare Warne and Samuels. Has anyone ever seen Warne give anything less than 100% on the field ? How about bored Diva pants Samuels ?
Bakkies
Guest
England couldn't give a rats about limited overs Cricket until recently. They were the last nation to adopt colour clothing, white bals and D/N
daniel
Guest
He didn't pretend he did it. Should we also thank warne for being a drug cheat , selling info to bookies , cheating on his wife and spending charity money inappropriately. At least Marlon Samuels is only a smart alec.
Jacko
Guest
Can someone point out when Samuals has unfairly attacked someone? He only responds to attacks from others. Seems fair to me.
Jacko
Guest
LOL I think his hair moved!!! Maybe its alive
Jacko
Guest
He must be the "Great Pretender" then as he was man of the match in the world cup final. His pretend innings won the WC final
Paul Potter
Roar Guru
Shane Warne and Marlon Samuels combined age: 81. Age they normally act when dealing with each other: 8.1. The end.
ChrisB
Guest
I would argue that it does. Unfortunately you can't run something without people willing to pay their hard earned to show they care. It's like the millions who apparently "care" about the Sheffield Shield according to some of the more deluded romantics on here, yet around 200 people a year bother to turn up
ChrisB
Guest
I know you're trying to invoke your intellectually and stylistic superiority to others in your disdain for the pop music-like T20 compared to longer form operas but get your facts right. If you ever deigned to watch the last BBL you'd have hardly seen the bat dominate the ball in all but a few freakish innings. It's like this strange belief that T20, as with one dayers before them, would kill off spin, when in fact it's generally the most effective form of bowling in these matches. Open your mind a little and try to enjoy. You might be surprised
jameswm
Roar Guru
How could you tell?
The Brown
Guest
Sportsmen just can't win. When asked "how do you feel" after winning/losing an event, if they give a standard response of "better side won", "bounce of the ball" or "game of two halves" they are referred to as boring and not entertainers. When a sportsmen gives an actual response that "means" something, they are referred to as a brat or a twat.