Marlon Samuels -
Committed to cricket & family life

With a bat in his hand, he is one of the most explosive stroke players on the international cricketing stage, capable of changing the course of a game with a stunning display of brilliance. His highly useful sang-froid bowling and fielding abilities ensure that he is acknowledged in the sport as a consummate all-rounder.

Often misunderstood but never underestimated, Jamaican cricketing 'poster-boy' Marlon Nathaniel Samuels was bred to silence his detractors. A proud past student of the celebrated Kingston College (KC), the 26 year-old lives by the institution's resolute motto

"The brave may fall but never yield". This is often manifested in his unflinching approach to life, his career and the inevitable obstacles that persist in tow.

His mood is near impossible to read and his impassive demeanour is now legendary. almost never smile, but a few minutes with 'Sammy' - as he is affectionately called by his friends and fans - unveiled a different side to the multi-talented youngster, a side unknown to most.

With his newborn daughter Djorna Dior in his arms and the woman he credits for changing his life by his side, Marlon glowed with new-found confidence and peace of mind, ready to take on the world, life…and marriage?

"Yeah you might soon hear wedding bells," he stated with a wry smile stapled to his face.

"When you find someone you truly love and who makes you think about life more seriously and shows effort in trying to make the relationship work, then you should make every effort to hold on to that person for life," he reasoned.

Player no more

Marlon unabashedly acknowledged his notorious playboy reputation, however, he insisted that the "player" lifestyle was now behind him. He expressed his complete commitment to his daughter and her mother Tashana.

"I am not wild anymore…since I've been in this relationship and the birth of my
daughter; I have not been running around town anymore with this person or that person. I'm just stable and settled. I didn't even know I could live a life like this but now I'm living it," he admitted blushingly. For one so abundantly blessed with impeccable timing in the middle and the gift of having so much time to play the cricket ball, the value of spending quality time with family is not lost on him.

"I used to love to party 24 hours a day, but since then [birth of daughter] that has changed. When Chris [Gayle] called me the other night and asked me what I was doing and I told him that I was just hanging out with the baby he was so surprised…usually the response would be 'whatever you're doing man'," he added.

This sensitive side of Marlon is not known to a lot of people and even fewer persons know that he is also a very level-headed, altruistic family-oriented and God-fearing individual. He is a kaleidoscope of personalities, and none is more profound and enchanting than the one with the warm smile that captures his playful and fun-loving spirit.

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