Marlon Samuels hits back at Dwayne Bravo's claim

All is not well between West Indies ODI captain Dwayne Bravo and Marlon Samuels, with the middle-order batsman yet again insisting that he was not a part of the decision to abandon the tour of India, and said he was in favour of solving the problem after finishing the series.

Samuels disagreed with Bravo's statement that he had given consent to standing by "any decision taken by the team." "No, I didn't say I am going to stand by any decision," said Samuels in an interview to ESPNcricinfo.

"Because nobody asked me questions like that. It is up to the individual to say okay I am with you. You had people in the room, who didn't even open their mouth or say anything. At the end of the day, I went there and asked my questions and I wasn't satisfied (by the response). If I was satisfied then I will be the first person to come out because I am an outspoken person. Then I will be the first person to come out and defend everything with (Bravo)," he said.

Samuels said he was against pulling out of the India tour midway. "This has nothing to do with India. This is our problem. So finish the tour and then go back to the Caribbean and sort out the problem. India is the most important team that West Indies play against. India is the greatest team that West Indies play against in every way possible. The relationship with India is too great. It is a wonderful relationship," the Jamaican said.

"You would never see an Indian player and a West Indian player having words against each other or cursing the other. It is not like against Australia or South Africa. There are a lot of Indians in the Caribbean. It is like a family."

Samuels said all three parties - the players, WICB and West Indies Players Association - messed up the situation. He was critical of Wavell Hinds and said that the WIPA president and CEO was to be blamed for the entire fiasco.

"If you look at the situation, the real, real person here to be blamed is Wavell Hinds, the (WIPA) president. Basically, he messed up everything. If you look at the situation you can't really blame the board for accepting what Wavell has done. Wavell is the main problem here. But remember I am not part of WIPA," he said.

As a matter of fact, this is the second time in less than a week that Samuels has expressed a difference of opinion against Bravo over the issue. Samuels said that he had only asked certain questions to Bravo in the two team meetings he had attended in India.

The Jamaican said he decided to stay away from the episode after failing to get a convincing reply from the West Indies skipper. "One of the questions I asked was the public dont really know what is happening," Samuels said.

"The public are being misled. They need to know the truth behind this (pullout). They need to go out there and explain what is really happening. He (Bravo) wasn't willing to go and do that. That is why I say that if you are not up to doing what I want to go there and do, which is the right thing, then you are not going to get my full support. You cannot expect (me) to go and fight a war if you are not willing to go out and speak," Samuels said.

Asked why he was not accredited to the players' body, Samuels said: "Since I got the two-year ban I was left in the cold, on my own. I have to get my own lawyer. I have to do everything on my own. WIPA wasn't there for me. So I come back into cricket and choose not to be a part of WIPA, because WIPA did not help me. So I do not feel like I should do anything for WIPA."