Suspended Samuels set to appeal

Samuels denied giving out any information to a bookmaker

West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels will appeal against his two-year suspension for breaking rules designed to stop players betting on matches.

The 27-year-old allegedly passed on team information to a bookmaker during a one-day series in India January 2007.

Samuels's lawyers, QCs Churchill Neita and Delano Harrison, said an application for a judicial review had a "realistic chance of success".

"We believe a most grave injustice has been done," they said in a statement.

"From the outset, we wish to make it pellucidly clear that we propose to challenge the findings of the majority (3 to 1) by way of judicial inquiry.

"We believe a most grave injustice has been done by their finding of our client's liability of one of the International Cricket Council's disciplinary offences."."

Samuels had denied giving out any information to a bookmaker but the ICC enforced a mandatory ban on the Jamaican backdated from 9 May, when the player had originally been suspended by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

The WICB concluded Samuels had "received money, benefit or other reward which could bring him or the game into disrepute".

606: DEBATE Give your reaction to Samuels's ban

Samuels was allowed to play in last year's World Cup while investigations continued.

A second charge that Samuels had "directly or indirectly... engaged in conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game" was dismissed.

The WICB disciplinary committee had said they would prefer for Samuels not to face a ban, recommending a suspended sentence on account of Samuels' good behaviour.

But the ICC decided to enforce the suspension with Richardson adding, "corruption is a serious matter".

Separately, the player was suspended from bowling in January after independent analysis of his action revealed his off-break and faster deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under regulations.