The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Samuels issue: BCCI forwards letter to ICC

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Friday, Feb 09, 2007
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Samuels issue: BCCI forwards letter to ICC

Principal Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday stated that it had received the report from the Nagpur Police on West Indies cricketer Marlon Samuels and had forwarded it to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The ICC Anti-Corruption Unit representative in India, Narinder Virk, was already in touch with the Nagpur Police in this regard, said the BCCI Vice-President, Rajiv Shukla.

The Nagpur Police has said that it had taped an alleged conversation between Samuels and a bookie.

"I have also spoken to the ACU representative here on this issue. The BCCI will co-operate in the investigations. Since it is involving a foreign player, it is a very sensitive issue and needs to be handled carefully," Shukla said.

The BCCI Secretary, Niranjan Shah, said that BCCI had done its part by forwarding the report. "Now it is for the ICC to take necessary steps."

Our Special Correspondent adds from Chennai:

The Hindu has in its possession the letter written by S.P.S. Yadav, Commissioner of Police, Nagpur, to Shashank Manohar, vice-president, BCCI, on the alleged conversation.

Mr. Yadav says Samuels, staying in Room No. 206 in Hotel Pride, "was contacted by one Shri Kochar telephonically on a number of occasions."

He adds: "they conversed about the bowling order and some details about different players of the West Indian team."

Wait and watch

PTI adds from Port of Spain:

Meanwhile, the West Indies Cricket Board adopted a wait-and-watch policy, saying they were ``not going to act on rumour or gossip.''

WICB spokesman Tony Deyal at Port of Spain said on Thursday, the Board had not received any communication from BCCI or ICC yet and would take necessary action only after getting a formal report.

``We have not been officially contacted by the BCCI or ICC. However, we are not going to act on rumour or gossip and will not be panicked, particularly since we are talking about the career and future of a young cricketer of talent and promise,'' he was quoted as saying in media reports.

Deyal, however, indicated that the Board would not take things lightly if the claims by Nagpur police turned out to be true.

``We have zero tolerance policy on gambling and we strictly adhere to the ICC codes,'' he added.

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