WICB lends full support to Samuels

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has decided to continue supporting Marlon Samuels as it believes he has done nothing wrong. Phone conversations between Samuels and an alleged Indian bookie were taped by the Nagpur police on the eve of the one-day game between India and West Indies in Nagpur on January 21.

"Being faced with such a situation would be quite difficult to deal with so we want to assure the young man that we will be here to support him," Ken Gordon, the WICB president, told the Caribbean Media Corporation. Gordon added, though, that the board would let the investigation take its course. "We believe our player is clean and until there is evidence to say otherwise, there will be no sanctions against him."

On February 9, Tony Deyal, the WICB corporate services manager, was quoted as saying on the BBC that the board would take action "consistent with the law" and the inquiry will involve all agencies concerned, including the West Indies Players' Association, of which Samuels is a member. "Whatever we do will be fair, honest and transparent. Whatever action we have to take consistent with the law, we will take it," Deyal said. "We will have an investigation and take whatever action is appropriate and consistent with the ICC regulations and our own reputation for probity."

The WICB's course of action, Deyal said, would have three major parts to it. One, the complaint and the proof; two, an internal investigation, most likely headed by the cricket committee; and three, the involvement of the Players' Association "because Samuels is a member and we are duty bound to involve all parties."

Brian Lara, the West Indies captain, too had pledged his support to Samuels and said that, with the World Cup looming, the player needed to focus on his cricket.