|
Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com
Samuels not guilty, says mom
Friday, February 9, 2007
by: Gary Smith
Caribbean Net News Sports Correspondent
Email: gary@caribbeannetnews.com
KINGSTON, Jamaica: Following media reports earlier this week accusing West Indies and Jamaican all-rounder Marlon Samuels of leaking team information to an illegal bookmaker during the recent one-day series in India, his mother, Daphne Lunan, said her son and the alleged bookmaker Mukesh Kochar, had been friends for a long time.
|
Lunan believes her son is innocent of any wrongdoing and his friendship with Kochar goes way beyond cricket matches and the alleged dates of January 20 and 21 in Nagpur.
"This is a long time friendship," Lunan was quoted as saying in the Jamaica Observer. "Over six years now because all when him (Marlon) foot sick and him not playing him (Kochar) call him and encourage him (to) continue and not to worry," she said.
"All when he is not playing match he (Kochar) call him because the last time with his foot (injury) he called and said he is a good player, he must continue, that's it."
According to Lunan, she has had several conversations with Kochar and was shocked to hear from another one of her sons, David, that Marlon was being accused for misconduct by Indian police, Amitesh Kumar.
"It's surprising to me and no, I don't believe it," she said, while adding that she met her son on Wednesday and he said nothing about being investigated by the Indian police.
"Right now I'm feeling so nervous cause I don't believe Marlon mix up into those things. That would be so surprising. I don't think so because when you fix match, don't you have to collect, and they find him collect anything?"
Meanwhile, Samuels, 26, has played 23 Tests and 83 one-dayers since his international debut against Australia at Adelaide in 2000, admitted to knowing Kochar, but said he does not do bookmakings.
"I don't do such things man," Samuels was quoted as saying in The Times of India. "I have not done anything wrong."
Copyright© 2007 Caribbean Net News at www.caribbeannetnews.com All Rights Reserved
License is granted for free print and distribution.
