MORE ON SAMUELS CONTROVERSY

NAGPUR/MUMBAI, Feb 9: Day 2 of the Marlon Samuels match-fixing saga threw up two more names and typical reactions from various cricket boards and a strong denial from Mukesh Kochhar, the alleged bookie whose conversation with Samuels was taped by the Nagpur police.

 

While the Indian cricket Board deftly deflected the issue, with chief honcho Pawar saying it's for the International Cricket Council to take action, the ICC has announced an inquiry and is holding an emergency meeting in Dubai on Friday on how to tackle the issue.

 

The names that have cropped up on Thursday are of West Indies opener Chris Gayle and a certain Robin Singh. Gayle's name cropped up because he spent two-three days in Mumbai along with Samuels after the rest of the West Indies team had returned on February 1. But nothing has been found by the police to suggest Gayle's complicity.

 

The name of Robin Singh is mentioned a couple of times during the six-minute taped conversation between Samuels and Kochhar. However, nowhere does the conversation indicate that it is the former Indian allrounder being referred to.

 

It's also not clear if the name being mentioned is ‘Robin Singh' or ‘Robinson'. Robin Singh himself denied any involvement.

 

"I'm a friend and father figure to Samuels," said Kochhar to Times Now from Dubai. "I have done nothing wrong. I was only trying to encourage him to play better. I'm a born sportsman and yes who doesn't bet on cricket. And who doesn't know the name of Dawood Ibrahim. But I don't know him at all."

 

Certain channels quoted Maharashtra DGP, P S Pasricha, as saying that Robin Singh figured in the conversation. But the letter from Nagpur Police Commissioner to BCCI brass, which incidentally is dated January 31 (the day the fourth and final One-Day International was played) is silent on this aspect.

 

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