Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

Samuels

FOLLOWING YESTERDAY'S International Cricket Council (ICC) decision to uphold the West Indies Cricket Board's (WICB) recommended two-year ban on Marlon Samuels, the player's legal team is moving full speed ahead to overturn the ruling.

In May, Samuels, who has played 29 Test matches for the West Indies, was banned for two years by the WICB's disciplinary committee.

The 27-year-old Samuels, who has scored two Test centuries, was found guilty of offence C 4 (ix) of the ICC Code of Conduct, namely that he "received any money, benefit or other reward (whether financial or otherwise) which could bring him or the game of cricket into disrepute".

The penalty for being found guilty of this offence is a minimum two-year ban.

Shock at decision

An official inquiry made up of Michael Beloff, QC, chairman of the ICC Code of Conduct Com-mission, and two other ICC Code of Conduct commissioners, reviewed the WICB disciplinary committee's findings and agreed the process and the punishment imposed were in keeping with ICC regulations.

However, Churchill Neita, QC, Samuels' attorney, expressed shock at the ICC's decision because, according to him, he thought it would have dismissed the WICB's findings.

He said he was surprised because it "was a decision that should not be arrived at in the first place."

Neita made these comments while not having seen anything official from the ICC, but said if this was the case, a judicial review would be the next move.

"We are moving full speed ahead (with applying for the judicial review)," he said, while announcing that Antiguan Gerald Watt, QC, would be given the necessary documents to start the process. The process, he said, would have to be done in either St Lucia, where the review was conducted or in Antigua where the WICB is based.

Next move

Neita said if that appeal failed, the next move would be through the Court of Arbitration.

"If we have to go there, we will go there," he explained, while hoping the process would proceed quickly.

He also made it clear that Samuels' legal team would be ready to apply for a stay of execution, which would allow Samuels to play during the process.