Injured Samuels returns home

Batsman Marlon Samuels has been forced home from the West Indies tour of Australia with a recurrence of his knee ailment. Samuels, 24, has struggled with knee problems throughout his career, and when he was hit by Brett Lee in the first innings of the second Test, the injury resurfaced.

The West Indies team physio, Steven Partridge, has suggested that the injury is not as bad as it has been on previous occasions, but it will still keep the middle order batsman out of action for at least two weeks.

Samuels started the tour of Australia on a high note with his first First Class double hundred – 257 – and his maiden five-wicket haul – 5/87 – in the first tour match, against Queensland. He failed to convert the form into Test success, however, with scores of just 5, 17 not out, 5 and 29.

Just one Test remains in the short series, so no replacement will be called up for the tourists. Instead, Wavell Hinds will expectedly return to the team for the third Test. Ironically, Hinds would be returning from a finger injury which kept him out of the first Test, allowing Samuels to play.