DHAKA, Bangladesh, CMC – Resurgent stroke-maker Marlon Samuels is anxiously looking forward to the limited overs and Test series against Bangladesh after his superb, unbeaten century in a Twenty20 tour match on Sunday.
The right-hander, who only returned to international cricket this year following a two-year ban for inappropriate ties to a bookmaker, hit 102 not out off 56 balls to fire the tourists to a 75-run win over a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI. “I played really well and that has really given me the confidence. I hit the ball nicely and I was able to find the gaps, so for me that was quite satisfying,” he said.
“I played some good shots but I also batted smartly and that was the key. We have a big match (one-off T20 International) coming up on Tuesday and from there the One-Day matches and the Test matches. I feel ready to take on the Bangladesh bowlers. That will be the big test.”
Samuels’s return to international cricket has been mixed, however, with two half-centuries in six innings interspersed with four single digit innings.
He has been equally inconsistent in One-Day Internationals with just a single half-century in nine innings.
Despite this, the talented 30-year-old said he was enjoying his cricket and would improve with more cricket under his belt.
“I have a very good coach back in Jamaica who used to tell me that once you have a good technique you don’t need to worry about the format of cricket as it (technique) will pull you through. I love batting in Test cricket but I also enjoy the other formats of the game as well,” he said.
“There were ups and downs but now I am trying to put them behind and move forward. I have been given the opportunity to play consistently for the team which I always wanted and you will see the best of me.”
