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By Peter Della Penna

Fresh off a two-year ban from cricket at all levels by the ICC, Marlon Samuels is one of four former West Indies Test players in a 13-man Jamaica squad that will be playing USA in three matches this weekend at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida. According to a roster obtained from USACA, the other three players with Test match experience who will be traveling to the Sunshine State are Wavell Hinds, Carlton Baugh and Donovan Pagon while Shawn Findlay is another player with international experience who made his ODI debut against Australia in 2008.

Samuels was suspended by the ICC after a West Indies Cricket Board inquiry into his association with a bookmaker in India during a West Indies tour there in January of 2007 found that he had "received money, benefit or other reward which could bring him or the game into disrepute,” according to a BBC report from May of 2008. His suspension ended on May 16 and he wasted no time by getting onto the pitch the same day at Sabina Park in Kingston for his local club Melbourne in the fifth round of the Jamaican SuperCricket League. 

At 29 years of age, Samuels still has plenty of time to push his claims to get back into the West Indies squad and will look to create a big impression in front of an American audience that will include many Jamaican supporters in Fort Lauderdale. Samuels has played 29 Tests and 107 ODIs so far, with two centuries in each format to his name.

Hinds was part of the West Indies team at the recent World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, but could not retain his place in the squad that was picked on Monday to play against the touring South Africans. Hinds scored 5 coming in at number eight in a loss to Sri Lanka and then did not face a ball after entering at number seven with three balls to go in the first innings against India in his only action of the tournament. The 34-year-old has played 45 Tests and 119 ODIs for the West Indies, scoring five centuries apiece in those forms of the game with a career high of 213 at the top of the order in the drawn first Test against South Africa at Guyana in 2005.

Jamaica arrives in Florida almost six weeks after hosting the Jamaica Cricket Festival, where they played one 50-over and one Twenty20 contest each against Associate countries Ireland and Canada. Jamaica walloped Canada in both encounters, but after chasing down 230 against Ireland in their 50-over matchup, they fell short by 3 runs to Ireland in the Twenty20 contest.

Among some of the lesser known players, Danza Hyatt is in excellent form for Jamaica. He scored 104 vs. Trinidad & Tobago at the end of February to help seal Jamaica’s third straight championship in the West Indies four-day domestic competition. Hyatt notched 102 vs. Ireland in their 50-over fixture at the Jamaica Cricket Festival in April to lead his side to victory by six wickets. Four days later in a Twenty20 match against Canada, he scored 48 off 32 balls with 10 boundaries in Jamaica’s 63-run win. Hyatt also had a pair of half-centuries in a drawn three-day match against Ireland.

Jamaica is managed by former West Indies batsman Jimmy Adams and coached by Junior Bennett. They are set to arrive on Thursday, a day before they take on USA in a 50-over match beginning Friday at 10 a.m. at the Central Broward Regional Park stadium. Saturday’s Twenty20 match against USA is scheduled for an 11 a.m. start and will be followed at 3:30 p.m. by the first Twenty20 International on American soil between New Zealand and Sri Lanka. On Sunday, New Zealand and Sri Lanka will square off in another Twenty20 International at 12 p.m. followed by USA and Jamaica once more for the final Twenty20 match of the weekend at 4 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased at the Central Broward Regional Park stadium box office, Ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.com, or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

Jamaica touring squad –

Tamar Lambert (captain), Carlton Baugh (wk), David Bernard, Nkrumah Bonner, Bevon Brown, Shawn Findlay, Wavell Hinds, Danza Hyatt, Donovan Pagon, Andrew Richardson, Marlon Samuels, Krishmar Santokie, Gavin Wallace.

Manager Jimmy Adams & Coach Junior Bennett