"Badass" is a word often thrown around lightly. Not for Marlon Samuels. Having won his second Man of the Match award in World Twenty20 finals, Samuels came for his press conference still in his pads. The England press conference was on when he arrived, and he sat and waited, accepting congratulations from those working in the media centre. About five minutes had gone by when he finally lost patience, and inquired when the thing would start. He had come without the West Indies media manager and he was going to do things media managers lose their jobs for.
Finally Eoin Morgan left the press conference room. They didn't look at each other. Samuels walked in. Sat sideways because he was wearing pads, and couldn't stick his legs under the table. The ICC representative, who was going to coordinate the press conference, tried to explain to him the cameras were in front. In a heaving room, though, Samuels had the audience on side. Without moving his head, he looked at the cameras and asked, "Are you ready for me?" No one objected. They'd be damned if they objected to him.
And then, just to make himself more comfortable, Samuels placed his feet on the table, spikes and all. The ICC representative tried to talk him out of it. Samuels just wanted to be comfortable. He had played some of the most gorgeous straight drives under immense pressure just minutes ago. Surely nobody minds him not giving the cameras the perfect angle. The ICC records this press conference on a camera just to the right or the left of the player. All it is likely to have got is the spikes talking. And the words stung more than his scorching hits.
There is history between Shane Warne and Samuels. During a BBL match in January 2013, Samuels seemed to have grabbed Warne's Melbourne Stars team-mate David Hussey as he turned for a second run. Warne indulged in some shirt pulling when Samuels came out to bat. Then a Warne throw from close range whizzed by Samuels's face after which Samuels threw away his bat in anger.
Warne the commentator has also not been very complimentary of Samuels, who doesn't like it. When accepting his Man of the Match award, Samuels said he had only Warne on his mind when he woke up, and - following criticism of his dismissal against India in the semi-final - that he knew he would turn up for the final. Then he displayed his trophy to the cameras and said, "This is for Shane Warne."
Finally Eoin Morgan left the press conference room. They didn't look at each other. Samuels walked in. Sat sideways because he was wearing pads, and couldn't stick his legs under the table. The ICC representative, who was going to coordinate the press conference, tried to explain to him the cameras were in front. In a heaving room, though, Samuels had the audience on side. Without moving his head, he looked at the cameras and asked, "Are you ready for me?" No one objected. They'd be damned if they objected to him.
And then, just to make himself more comfortable, Samuels placed his feet on the table, spikes and all. The ICC representative tried to talk him out of it. Samuels just wanted to be comfortable. He had played some of the most gorgeous straight drives under immense pressure just minutes ago. Surely nobody minds him not giving the cameras the perfect angle. The ICC records this press conference on a camera just to the right or the left of the player. All it is likely to have got is the spikes talking. And the words stung more than his scorching hits.
There is history between Shane Warne and Samuels. During a BBL match in January 2013, Samuels seemed to have grabbed Warne's Melbourne Stars team-mate David Hussey as he turned for a second run. Warne indulged in some shirt pulling when Samuels came out to bat. Then a Warne throw from close range whizzed by Samuels's face after which Samuels threw away his bat in anger.
Warne the commentator has also not been very complimentary of Samuels, who doesn't like it. When accepting his Man of the Match award, Samuels said he had only Warne on his mind when he woke up, and - following criticism of his dismissal against India in the semi-final - that he knew he would turn up for the final. Then he displayed his trophy to the cameras and said, "This is for Shane Warne."
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