ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – West Indies right-hander Marlon Samuels will make his first appearance in the regional domestic 50-overs competition in three years when he turns out for Leeward Islands Hurricanes later this month.
The 35-year-old last appeared in the competition in 2013 when he represented his native Jamaica but Leeward Islands Cricket Board chief operations officer, Vernon Springer, confirmed to the Observer newspaper here that the player would be part of the Hurricanes squad for the January 24 to February 18 tournament.
Samuels will bring a wealth of experience to the Hurricanes line-up, having played 71 Tests and 187 One-Day Internationals for West Indies.
He is coming off a prolific campaign in the Bangladesh Premier League last November where he scored 334 runs at an average of 66 with three half-centuries for Comilla Victorians.
Samuels was in decent one-day touch for West Indies last year, tallying 374 runs at an average of 37, including a superb hundred against Australia in Bridgetown.
Samuels is expected to be joined by Guyana and West Indies A fast bowler, Ronsford Beaton, and Trinidadian Daron Cruickshank.
“We have 20 guys who will be here over the next couple of days or over the next two weeks and we are going to have some trial games,” Springer said.
“We promised you we are going to have the best franchise and whatever it takes, we are going to make sure it works.”
The 30-year-old Cruickshank also played first class and 50-overs cricket for Hurricanes last season.
Hurricanes have been installed in Group A of the upcoming Super50 alongside reigning champions Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, West Indies Under-19s, Windward Islands Volcanoes and English County Kent.
Group B comprises last year’s losing finalists, Barbados Pride, Guyana Jaguars, Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners, Jamaica Scorpions and ICC Americas.
