BEGIN INVESTIGATIONS INTO SAMUELS

NEW DELHI, Feb 8: The Cricket Board on Thursday said that it has received the report of the Nagpur Police on West Indies cricketer Marlon Samuels' links with a bookie and has forwarded it to the International Cricket Council.

 

"We have received the report today and have forwarded it to the ICC for necessary action," BCCI Vice President Rajiv Shukla said.

 

He said the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit representative in India was already in touch with the Nagpur Police to get all the necessary information regarding Samuels' links with Mukesh Kochchar, a bookie who has alleged connection with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

 

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

 

BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah, when contacted, said that it is for the ICC to take action in this matter.

 

"At the moment no Indian player is involved and we can take action only if an Indian player is involved," he said.

 

Meanwhile, the ICC also confirmed having received the report from the Nagpur Police and said it has started investigation into the matter.

 

"We have received the report and the ACU representative in India has been directed to carry out the investigations," a top ICC source said.

 

He said, if required, Samuels could be summoned for a cross examination as part of the probe.

 

"The ICC can investigate and prepare a report, but it is upto the West Indies Cricket Board to take necessary action against the player," the source added.

 

In a sensational disclosure, Nagpur Deputy Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar last night said that Samuels gave out information to bookie Mukesh Kochchar on the batting and bowling line-ups of his team prior to the January 21 One-dayer between India and West Indies.

 

However, he added that "we have no evidence about financial commitment made."

 

He said Nagpur Police had concrete evidence that Samuels was in touch with Mukesh Kochchar and "prima facie it is a violation of ICC Code of Conduct for player."

 

Kumar said the police had informed the BCCI that there had been certain incidents which showed that Samuels was conversing on a number of occasions with Mukesh Kochchar who was an international cricket better.

 

"And we have said in brief what was the conversation, including the bowling order and other details which were being provided to Mukesh Kochchar," Kumar said.

 

Asked if it was another case of match-fixing, Kumar said, "it is not actually a match-fixing incident. It is basically certain confidential team details that were passed on to a cricket better. We have no information about fixing the match. We have team information being passed. There were certain promises made but we cannot reveal them now," he said.

 

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