Wes Hall Saves Samuels

Mon, Oct 28, '02

The West Indies team management in India voted to send Marlon Samuels back to the Caribbean for disciplinary infractions but the personal intervention of WICB president Wes Hall saved Samuels from banishment, according to information reaching CaribbeanCricket.com.

According to well-placed sources, the Jamaican middle order batsman who is yet to play in a Test on tour, was breaking curfew and hitting the night spots in India and was hauled before the management committee and told to pack his bags.

However, sources say Rev Hall called and made a personal plea for Samuels to be given another chance. "He (Samuels) was packed and ready to go when Hall begged for him to be given a second chance," the source explained.

Insiders say pacer Merv Dillon was also read the riot act by the tour disciplinary committee -- manager Viv Richards, captain Carl Hooper and coach Roger Harper -- for breaking curfew on several occasions. Dillon and Hooper are the only two players travelling with their wives and sources say the the committee warned Dillon about staying out late with his wife, against well-known team rules .

Richards and Hooper both mentioned that the word "indiscipline" following the loss in the second Test with Richards going as far as saying drastic measures would be taken.

"There are few good men in the team and few negative factors, which would continue to poison the side until we get our balance right," said Richards referring to the factors affecting his team's performance on the tour. "We have to take some drastic measures in future if we want to get back at the top," he added.

Hooper also spoke of indiscipline after the second Test. "The team, though full of promises, has yet to justify its potential due to immaturity and indiscipline," the captain said. Sources say Hooper was very upset at Samuels and wanted to use him as an example to the other younger players in the team.

Separately, CaribbeanCricket.com has learned that Pedro Collins is nursing a "serious" back injury and is likely out for the remainder of the tour. The Barbadian fast bowler is scheduled to undergo a fitness test on Tuesday but sources say Collins will probably miss the seven ODI matches that follow the Test series because of the injury.

It means the selectors will likely keep Darrell Powell and Jeremy Lawson in India after the test series ends. The two were scheduled to return home when the ODIs begin.