Samuels in alleged contact with bookmaker

The International Cricket Council has ordered an investigation into allegations that the West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels was in contact with a bookmaker during the tour of India in January.

The ICC's anti-corruption and security unit reported Samuels and ordered the West Indies Cricket Board to delve further into the matter. It is alleged that Samuels has breached the ICC Code of Conduct regulations for receiving any money, benefit or other reward which could bring him or the game of cricket into disrepute.

The WICB report will be handed to the ICC by 31 January, 2008.

Elsewhere, Paul Nixon has confirmed he will be play in the Indian Cricket League next month. The Leicestershire captain, England's wicketkeeper at the World Cup, will line up with his former Grace Road team-mate Darren Maddy and other international stars such as Brian Lara, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Damien Martyn and Chris Cairns in the month-long Twenty20 competition in India.

It will compete with the Indian Premier League, the competition officially sanctioned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India which includes Australia's Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke.