Samuels to rejoin West Indies World Cup Squad

West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels will leave Kingston on Friday evening for the Cricket World Cup 2003 in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya.

The CWC 2003 Technical Committee gave its approval on Friday for the reinstatement of Samuels after it heard the West Indies Cricket Board's case presented by Acting Chief Executive Officer, Roger Brathwaite, to allow the gifted, young batsman to rejoin the 15-member squad in South Africa.

"We are pleased with the decision of the CWC 2003 Technical Committee and we are now looking forward to Marlon joining the squad and giving of his best for West Indies in the CWC 2003," remarked Michael Hall, the Chief Cricket Operations Officer of the WICB.

Samuels arrives in Cape Town on Sunday morning ahead of the CWC 2003 opener, a day/night contest between West Indies and South Africa later in the day.

Ryan Hinds, Samuels' replacement when he was withdrawn from the squad a fortnight ago, will return to the Caribbean to represent Barbados in the Carib Beer 2003 Cricket Series and is likely to depart South Africa no later than Monday.