Hall Defends Decision to Spare Samuels

West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Wes Hall has confirmed an exclusive CaribbeanCricket.com report that middle order batsman Marlon Samuels was ordered expelled from the tour of India for disciplinary infractions but defended his decision to overturn the decision of the tour committee.

In a statement, the WICB said the the expulsion of Marlon Samuels from the tour of India "was not carried out because the penalty was not in keeping with the Disciplinary Guidelines."

"The way the [CaribbeanCricket.com] report has been written gives the impression that I condone indiscipline and I am diametrically opposed to any such assertions," Hall said in response to the report which stated that the WICB boss personally intervened to save the Jamaican batsman from being sent home.

"Discipline is dealt with under set guidelines in the team. It is under the purview of the manager and the rest of the management committee on tour. They deal with all acts of indiscipline, but the serious offences are referred to the WICB."

It was for this reason, Hall said, that the team management referred the Samuels case to him and he sought the best legal advice to direct him on what action should be taken.

"We were advised whatever punitive measure was invoked had to be commensurate with the guidelines set out for discipline and this legal opinion was conveyed to the manager...For breaking curfew, it's a fine of 15 per cent of the match fee for the first offence, and for a second offence, on the same tour, it's expulsion. In view of this, the manager was advised he should write Samuels and inform him of this. That is the untrammelled truth of the matter," Hall said.

He said any decision by the board to crack down on indiscipline also had to be done fairly.

"The WICB views very seriously any acts of indiscipline, but we must not act recklessly ourselves and be indisciplined in the way we handle these kinds of incidents. We have to act within the guidelines that have been set down. We have great faith in the management of the team to handle any acts of indiscipline."