Dear Editor,
I looked at a replay of the March 31 World Cup semi-final between India and the West Indies (which the West Indies won by scoring 146 runs in boundaries and sixes as opposed to 92 by India) in a less anxious frame of mind than watching it live, and noticed Shane Warne broadcasting while Samuels was at the wicket. Samuels was out quickly, playing very awkwardly, shortly after Warne referred derisively to Samuels’ apparent unease with the lifting ball. Suddenly I remembered one of the nastiest incidents in modern cricket when Warne as captain of the opposing ‘Big Bash’ team in January 2013 in Australia attacked Samuels on the field shortly prior to Samuels’ being struck in the eye by a bouncer from Malinga, that may have effectively ended Samuels’ brief career as a high quality batsman. Warne was found solely or substantially at fault for the altercation, suspended and fined. So he, perhaps more than anyone else, would have understood why Samuels would be so nervous about the rising ball, and show more sympathy, since after all, cricket is only a game.
Yours faithfully,
Romain Pitt
