One day after the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) offered a helping hand to banned West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels, the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) are also throwing their support behind the player.
Yesterday WIPA president Dinanath Ramnarine indicated that he had not yet received all the details on the issue, but indicated that he had already been in contact with the 27-year-old Jamaican.
"We are providing all the necessary support to Marlon, and we have been in contact with him to offer our support," Ramnarine told the Express yesterday.
On Monday, it was announced that Samuels was found guilty of breaching the ICC Rules of Conduct 4 (ix) by having "received money, benefit or other reward which could bring him or the game of cricket into disrepute".
In December, the ICC requested the WICB investigate Samuels' alleged role in match-fixing, after he was recorded by Indian police in January 2007 having a conversation with bookie Mukesh Kochchar. Subsequent investigations led to him being charged with misconduct, which carries a minimum two-year ban.
The verdict was handed down by the WICB's disciplinary committee, chaired by Justice Adrian Saunders and including Justice Adrian Saunders, Dr Lloyd Barnett, Professor Aubrey Bishop and players representatives Courtney Walsh and Richie Richardson.
