West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels has been found guilty of breaching regulations after a probe into allegations of links with a bookmaker, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) said on Monday. Samuels, 27, could now face a two-year ban from the game if the International Cricket Council (ICC) enforces a mandatory ban. The WICB said its disciplinary committee had found that Samuels had breached ICC Rules of Conduct 4 in that he “received money, benefit or other reward which could bring him or the game of cricket into disrepute”. The committee looked into charges that Jamaican Samuels passed on team information to a bookmaker during a one-day series in India in January 2007. A second charge that Samuels had “directly or indirectly ... engaged in conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game.” was dismissed. The committee, which will now pass on its findings to the ICC, said it would prefer for Samuels not to face a ban but to be “bound over to be of good behavior for a period not exceeding two years”. Slapping row report today An inquiry into the Harbhajan Singh slapping row is complete and the Indian cricket board will receive the findings on Tuesday. “Inquiry commissioner Sudhir Nanavati will give his report to the board Tuesday,” Board of Control for Cricket in India's chief administrator Ratnakar Shetty said Monday. Singh has already been banned from a domestic Twenty20 tournament and could face suspensions from international cricket. Nanavati interviewed Singh, who slapped fellow Indian Test player Shantakumaran Sreesanth during a domestic Twenty20 match last month, and Sreesanth last Friday. Singh already has been banned from the remainder of the lucrative Twenty20 tournament and fined his entire fee for that match. He lost a substantial part of his potential income from a contract worth $850,000 for the season. Earlier this year, Singh was at the center of controversy during a Test series in Australia. He was initially banned for three Tests for allegedly making racist remarks against Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds. However, his appeal was upheld and his punishment reduced to a fine. Australia to play Scotland Australia will play limited-overs internationals against Ireland and Scotland in the next two years, the first time the World Cup champions have played official games against associate nations outside International Cricket Council events. Cricket Australia said Monday that Ireland, which upset Pakistan and Bangladesh en route to the Super Eights stage of last year's World Cup, will host Australia in June 2010 when Australia begins a one-day tour of England. Australia will visit Edinburgh on Aug. 28, 2009 for a One-Day International against Scotland, four days after the Ashes Test series ends at The Oval in London. Australia then plays a seven-match, one-day series with England. Cricket Scotland chief executive Roddy Smith said it was a major achievement for Scotland and Ireland to play Australia. “Although Scotland and Ireland are fierce competitors on the field, this is a great example of the two countries working together off the field to both our benefit,” Smith was quoted saying. Six associate teams competed at last year's World Cup in the Caribbean, but only four will be included for the 2011 event.
