Ben Stokes launches extraordinary attack on 'disrespectful' Marlon Samuels

When two mercurial characters collide, the result would inevitably be quite riveting. In what could aggravate their skirmish further, England’s Ben Stokes has fired a salvo at Marlon Samuels through his aptly named autobiography ‘Firestarter: Me, Cricket and The Heat of the Moment’.

In an extract published by The Daily Mail, the 25-year old lashed out at his recurring rival for showing ‘disrespect’ to the game by looking back at their confrontations during the recent past.

Stokes wrote, “Marlon Samuels lacks respect. You get that if you have spent any time with him on a cricket field. Marlon’s conduct after West Indies’ victory in this year’s World Twenty20 final showed a total disrespect for the game. Without removing his batting pads, Marlon walked into a press conference, sat down and placed his feet on the desk. Totally lacking manners.“

Chasing 156 to lift their second World T20 title, West Indies fell into early strife at 11/3 before Samuels rescued them with an unbeaten 85. Defending 19 runs off the final over, Stokes was plundered for four successive sixes by Carlos Brathwaite to seal the deal in front of a paced house at the iconic Eden Gardens.

Stokes insisted, “I was at mid-off and, in my enthusiasm, found myself creeping in from my position and I noticed that Samuels, at the non-striker’s end, was walking around like the big easy. I couldn’t resist. 'You’ve got a bit of a swagger on here, Marlon, considering you’re 14 for three. Shut the f*** up, you little b***h,’ came the reply. I simply reminded him of the score, and he came back with the same words again.“

The Jamaican took aim at Shane Warne’s analysis in the post-match presentation and went on to create a controversy at the press conference by refusing to take his feet off the table.

The Christchurch-born cricketer felt, “It didn’t require him to give me a character assassination – bizarrely claiming I am some sort of ‘nervous laddie’ – to help me form the opinion that I do not like him one bit. I believe in the saying ‘respect the game’. I don’t think he respects the game. Yes, he played an unbelievable innings but, because of our personal history, it stops me short of saying he’s a good player. Team players are the good players in my eyes.“

With their feud originating from the 2015 Test series in the Caribbean where Samuels saluted him in a mocking manner, Stokes has now added fuel to the growing animosity between them by initiating a blistering attack.