Double West Indies T20 World Cup winner Marlon Samuels retires

The two-time T20 World Cup winner is understood to have informed Cricket West Indies of his decision in June

• Stokes wouldn't wish quarantine on worst enemy Samuels

Marlon Samuels has retired from professional cricket at the age of 39.

ESPNcricinfo have been informed by Cricket West Indies that the batsman confirmed his decision in June.

Samuels has since reposted an article reporting the development via his Instagram account.

The news brings the curtain down on Samuels' career, which began with his first-class debut back in 1997.

He played 71 Tests, 207 one-day internationals and 67 T20s for West Indies, his last outing coming in 2018.

Twice a T20 World Cup winner in 2012 and 2016, Samuels was the Windies' top scorer in both finals against Sri Lanka and England.

As a part-time off-spinner, he took 152 wickets across all formats for his country.

But his career was not without controversy.

In 2008, he was banned by the ICC for two years for "receiving money, or benefit or other reward that could bring him or the game of cricket into disrepute".

Either side of that episode he was twice suspended from bowling after being reported regarding an illegal action. More recently a heated rivalry with England's Ben Stokes developed via on and off-the-field jibes between the two players.

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