Marlon Samuels - file

Marlon Samuels has fired back at critics, including renowned journalist Tony Cozier, who have suggested that one of the reasons for him declining an offer to replace all-rounder Dwayne Bravo in the West Indies team at the ongoing International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup in India, is because of fear of interrogation in that country, regarding a recent two-year ICC ban for passing on information to an Indian bookmaker.

According to Samuels, who returned to the country yesterday along with other members of Jamaica's four-day team from a three-match stint in the eastern Caribbean, the suggestion being proported is ridiculous, as despite him having served the ban, he was innocent of any wrongdoing.

conduct prejudicial

The ICC, who were presented with copies of taped conversations between Samuels and a bookmaker by Delhi police, during a hearing into the allegations, banned Samuels in 2008 for two years for "directly or indirectly ... engaging in conduct prejudicial to the game".

"That is just speculation. Total rubbish. It's a shocker to a lot of people that I turned down the offer, but it has nothing to do with fears of going back to India, as I have done nothing wrong," Samuels said yesterday.

"Since the ban was issued nobody from India has contacted me, and I have no fear that anyone will in the future. In fact, I look forward to returning to India one day.

He added: "It is just that some persons, especially in the media, are saying things so as to get attention, and for the hype, at this moment it is easy to get a hype off Marlon Samuels," added the 30-year-old.

One such media personality, could be Cozier, who is in India covering the World Cup. In an article in the Trinidad Express newspaper on Monday, he alluded that Samuels turned down the World Cup offer due to Indian police fears.

"Samuels has taken the same course of action as that of South African players Herschelle Gibbs and Nicky Boje who were both implicated in the match-fixing scandal that led to a life ban for the late captain, Hansie Cronje," Cozier wrote.

"They chose not to return to India, for fear of arrest, until they were given assurances by the Indian police prior to their return for the 2006 Champions Trophy."

Samuels, who is currently the leading run scorer in the ongoing regional four-day tournament, in the meantime, explained that the reason for turning down the World Cup offer was purely a cricketing one, and that this his views on his way back into international cricket were stated publicly before he received a call from the West Indies selectors.

"I said about a month ago when the West Indies team was selected that I was not disappointed, as although I finished the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament as the leading run scorer, I did not think that I was 100 per cent ready.

"I explained that I wanted to focus on playing a full first-class season, something I have never done before.

"I also wanted to improve my first-class average and make sure that if and when I return to international cricket I would be in a position to make a big impact, as first-class bowling and international bowling is different.

"So I don't really understand where these things (speculations) are coming from when all I am trying to do is be honest with my self as to where I am in my career and want to be," he said.