Friday, July 4 2008

MARLON SAMUELS’ two-year ban for providing information to a bookmaker has been upheld after an ICC committee determined the West Indies Cricket Board had handled the case appropriately.

In May, Samuels was suspended for two years by the WICB’s disciplinary committee for breaching the ICC’s Code of Conduct for “receiving money, for benefit or other reward that could bring him or the game of cricket into disrepute”.

Samuels was allegedly caught on tape in February 2007 passing on match-related information to an Indian bookie during West Indies’ ODI series in India. An ICC committee headed by Michael Beloff QC reviewed the WICB’s finding to ascertain whether the process and punishment were in keeping with the ICC regulations. The enquiry found the punishment and the process to be appropriate and the findings were accepted by the ICC board.