Facing long ban from international cricket

file-Jamaica and West Indies allrounder, Marlon Samuels (left), charged with misconduct by West Indies Cricket Board.

The past four days have been turbulent times for Jamaican cricket all-rounder Marlon Samuels after learning he is being banned from bowling and is being charged by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)for misconduct.

The misconduct charge, which centres on a taped telephone conversation between Samuels and an alleged illegal bookmaker a year ago in India may result in the Jamaican being banned from international cricket.

According to the International Cricket Council's (ICC) code of conduct for players and team officials, last revised June 2007, Samuels, if found guilty of such breaches, can receive a minimum ban of two years and a maximum of five.

no evidence of money

The authorities, however, have no evidence of money being exchanged and previously said that no other West Indies player was suspected.

Samuels, who has denied any wrongdoing, reserved any comment on the matter when contacted yesterday and said his lawyers are handling the charges.

Meanwhile, president of the Jamaica Cricket Association, Jackie Hendriks, said due process will be exercised.

"The matter is going to be referred to the disciplinary committee of the WICB at which time Marlon will be called to give evidence and eventually the findings will be transmitted to the ICC," Hendriks explained.

Jamaican attorney Derek Jones, of Myers, Fletcher and Gordon, carried out the investigation against Samuels and he presented a report to the WICB last weekend in Antigua, where Jamaica were participating in the Stanford Twenty20 competition.

The WICB's code of ethics and disciplinary committee, which is chaired by Vincentian Justice Adrian Saunders and includes Professor Aubrey Bishop, Dr Lloyd Barnett and former players Courtney Walsh and Richie Richardson, is expected to meet shortly on Samuels' case.

inaudible sections

The telephone conversation, which has several inaudible sections, between Samuels and alleged bookmaker Mukesh Kochchar, was recorded by India's Nagpur police on January 20, 2007. The police, who were monitoring Kochchar, said they became suspicious after repeated calls to a particular room at the hotel where the West Indies team was staying.

The allegations led to the ICC asking the WICB to conduct an investigation.

Several international cricketers have had run-ins with Indian authorities over suspicious telephone conversations with Indian bookmakers. Most notable is former South African captain, Hanse Cronje, in April 2000.