Cricket for me is basically fun – Samuels

Marlon Samuels was pleased to return to internationalcricket with a four-wicket haul that helped restrict Zimbabwe to 211 in the Barbados Test, saying he might be called "comeback kid" after the number of comebacks he has made in his vocation. For him, he said, cricket was all about enjoyment, and that showed through in his eagerness to contribute in all departments.

"Cricket for me is basically fun, with bat, fielding, bowling. Whenever I get a chance to bowl I enjoy it. They call me 'lucky arm' now, I've been picking up some wickets recently. I'm just having fun and enjoying being back in global cricket," Samuels said at the end of the first day's play in Bridgetown.

Zimbabwe chose to bat, and seem to building a solid platform at 100 for 2, before the introduction of offspinner Shane Shillingford turned the innings. They lost eight wickets for 111 runs, with Shillingford and Samuels claim seven between them.

Samuels struck with his primary ball, bowling Craig Ervine for 29. "He just pushed the wrong line and missed it. He had wanted me to bowl to him in a do game, I told him I didn't want to bowl," Samuels said with a laugh. "So I finally got to bowl to him and got him out first ball, it was great."

The Zimbabwe batsmen, he said, might have been a bit complacent after seeing off the pacy trio of quicks - Tino Best, Kemar Roach plus Shannon Gabriel. "After Zimbabwe faced our fast bowlers, maybe they became a bit relaxed next to our slower bowlers. Everyone was looking [for us] to blast out the Zimbabwe batsman, but that didn't occur today.

"There was some wonderful bowling by Shillingford. He show that the slower you bowled on the wicket you could also get some rebound as well and he did a great job."

But the day was not all rosy for West Indies, as they lost two wickets inexpensively in reply (including nightwatchman Roach), going to stumps on 18 for 2. The pitch demands that their batsmen work hard on day two, Samuels said: "A couple of balls be very quick and a couple held up, so it's a pitch where you have to apply yourself plus runs will come. If you work hard as a batsman you'll get some runs.

"Runs on the board are already on the plank. So we need to get past it [Zimbabwe's total] first and then we'll see where it goes from there."

Samuels is back for West Indies following two months out due to a facial injury; he was struck on the face by a Lasith Malinga delivery at the Big Bash League in Australia in early January. The time away helped him reassess his game, he said. "It was time for me to sit rear and relax with the family, and reflect on what I've been doing around the world. I used the time to reflect on my work and put myself back in a position to achieve the goal I set out to get in international cricket."