From Caribbean360

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Tuesday October 28, 2014, CMC – West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels has robustly dismissed claims from West Indies One- Day International captain Dwayne Bravo that the Jamaican had given support to the decision to abandon the tour of India.

This is the second time in less than a week Samuels has publicly expressed a different opinion to Bravo on the issue which has forced India to abandon tours to the Caribbean and to initiate legal action.

Last week Samuels said he wanted no part of the decision to abandon the tour saying he stayed away from most of the meetings.

But Samuels’ decision to distance himself from the pull out prompted statements from Bravo contradicting the stroke-maker’s comments.

“No, I did not say that I am going to stand by any decision. Because nobody asked me questions like that. It is up to the individual to say okay I am with you. You had people in the room that didn’t even open their mouth or say anything,” said Samuels in a telephone interview from Jamaica with ESPNcricinfo.

“At the end of the day, I went there and asked my questions and I wasn’t satisfied [by the response]. If I was satisfied then I will be the first person to come out because I am an outspoken person. Then I will be the first person to come out and defend everything with [Bravo].”

Samuels said he decided to stay away from the meetings after he asked certain questions of Bravo in the two sessions he attended and failed to get a convincing response.

He said he has asked Bravo to come out and explain to the Caribbean public the exact situation since he believed it was necessary to be transparent.

“One of the questions I asked was the public don’t really know what is happening. The public are being misled. They need to know the truth behind this [pullout]. They need to go out there and explain what is really happening,” said Samuels.

“He wasn’t willing to go and do that. That is why I say that if you are not up to doing what I want to go there and do, which is the right thing, then you are not going to get my full support. You cannot expect [me] to go and fight a war if you are not willing to go out and speak.”

The first round of talks to resolve the conflict involving West Indies players, their union, WIPA, and the West Indies Cricket Board, have been described as “cordial, positive and fruitful” after the three parties sat down in an emergency meeting on Sunday in Kingston.

The talks represent the first move to resolve the impasse stemming from the players’ anger over the terms and conditions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, signed recently between the WICB and WIPA.

Players have argued it results in a drastic reduction in their earnings and have called for a return to the old CBA.

IMAGE: MARLON SAMUELS (FILE PHOTO)

For more on this story go to: http://www.caribbean360.com/sports/marlon-samuels-denies-bravos-claim-he-supported-decision-to-abandon-tour#ixzz3HSS1j4Dp