Marlon Samuels might consider Kolpak deal for Derbyshire following his ouster from the national team

West Indies all-rounder Marlon Samuels who was ousted from the West Indies limited overs team for the series against England in March is now considering a Kolpak deal with English county Derbyshire. He was left out from the Windies squad for the 3 match ODI series against England after opting out from the Regional Super50 tournament to participate in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL).

According to the rules of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), it is mandatory for an out of favour cricketer to feature in the regional domestic tournament in the particular format to be eligible for selection for West Indies. “I’ve got a Kolpak deal on my plate which I’m contemplating. It’s a three-year deal with Derbyshire worth probably £120,000-130,000 a year. The money is not the issue at the moment, I’ve been playing international cricket the last 17 years so have set myself the right way.

“This is about principle, about being loyal. I’ve been a loyal soldier for West Indies cricket and (want to) continue to play. I showed some loyalty, so I expect a bit of loyalty. I’m only the one from 2000 still here, sticking round and playing for the West Indies”, Samuels was quoted as saying by Sports Max Zone.

Speaking on WICB’s move to remodel his bowling action after he was suspended from bowling by the International Cricket Council (ICC), Samuels said that neither did he pay for his bowling nor did the ICC. “I didn’t pay for my bowling. ICC didn’t pay for my bowling. The West Indies Cricket Board paid for my bowling. So, they invested in my bowling for me to come back to bowl against England. Now I’m going to hear that I’ve to stay and play all the Super50 games.”

Samuels will fly straight to Hong Kong following the completion of the ongoing PSL for the Hong Kong T20 Blitz scheduled to begin on March 8.