By Anthony Foster, Freelance WriterFORMER JAMAICA captain Robert Samuels has partly blamed segments of the media for losing his place in the 26-man national squad for next year's Carib Beer regional four-day series announced by the Ruddy Williams-led selection panel on Wednesday.
The man, who played six Tests and eight one-day internationals for the West Indies between 1996 and 1997, said the media had some influence on the decision taken by the selection panel.
"The media has had a frenzy," Samuels said last night. "The media has had a field day where I am concerned, so I think the media people have hyped up all of this," he said.
Samuels said the media "are the ones that told the public what to think, they are the ones who told the public what to do basically, people with pen, people with paper, people with microphones ... I think they were the ones stirring up everything," argued Samuels, who scored a Test century against New Zealand.
The veteran of 106 first-class matches in which he scored 5,529 runs with six centuries and 34 half-centuries at an average of 31.77 said Jamaica had all the West Indies players for the Red Stripe Bowl, but still lost the title.
"All the West Indies players were here and played and they are away and I am not playing anymore, so I think it started from there and it has continued," he said.
"Basically, what happened is that I am the only one who has lost a job. Everybody else will be playing except myself, apparently I am the one to be blamed."
As to whether he will call it a day, Samuels said, "I think it might mean yes but I am not too sure just yet. The next Carib tournament is in 2005. I think it might be the end (of his career)," he told The Gleaner.
He said he had been planning on making 2004 his last year.
"I was thinking about that, just play in the Carib Cup and finish (retire), but it wasn't anything official or anything finalised. I was thinking very much down that line, but unfortunately it came earlier than that," said the 32-year-old left-handed batsman.
While being obviously disappointed, Samuels admitted it was one of those things that happens in sport.
"I have seen enough players go in my time," he said.
No immediate successor has been named for Samuels, but he favours Gareth Breese.
The full Carib Beer series squad: Nicholas Austin, Alton Beckford, David Bernard Jnr, Gareth Breese, Bevon Brown, Odean Brown, Ryan Cunningham, Andre Dwyer, Shawn Findlay, Danza Hyatt, Keith Hibbert, Lorenzo Ingram, Phillip Keating, Maurice Kepple, Tamar Lambert, Dwight Mais, Evon McInnis, Donovan Pagon, Brenton Parchment, Nehemiah Perry, Andrew Richardson, Krishmar Santokie, Matthew Sinclair, Mario Ventura, Dwight Washington and Vinard Woolcock.
