Odumbe to face preliminary hearing on May 19

The International Cricket Council has announced that the preliminary hearing into match-fixing allegations against Maurice Odumbe, the former Kenyan captain, will take place in Nairobi on May 19.

The preliminary hearing, which will be presided over by Justice Ahmed Ebrahim, the former Zimbabwean Supreme Court judge, will deal with any preliminary points raised by Odumbe's lawyers and will set a process in place for a more substantive hearing.

The preliminary hearing follows an investigation by the ICC's Anti Corruption and Security Unit and a recommendation by Michael Beloff, who is the chairman of the ICC's Code of Conduct commission. Under the ICC's code of conduct, the penalties that the players can face range from a two-year suspension to a life-ban depending on the nature of the charge.

Odumbe, 34, has been an integral part of the Kenyan one-day team, with his middle-order batting and slow bowling coming in handy. He was the Man of the Match in Kenya's historic win over the West Indies at Pune in the 1996 World Cup.