Odumbe vows to appeal against ban

Kenya's disgraced former captain, Maurice Odumbe, who was yesterday banned for five years after accepting bribes from an Indian bookmaker, has vowed to appeal against his suspension.

Odumbe, who was found guilty on 12 charges of corruption by the former Zimbabwean Supreme Court judge, Ahmed Ebrahim, declared that he was "shocked and surprised" by the decision.

"We shall fight this, we shall fight it to the end," said Odumbe's lawyer, Ishan Kapila, at a press conference in Nairobi. But Odumbe faces a tough battle if he is to clear his name. ICC, which has received a copy of the Ebrahim Report, described the decision as "entirely appropriate", and Kenya will now have to find a replacement for their Champions Trophy squad.

Odumbe has at least received support from his captain, Steve Tikolo, who called the Kenya Cricket Association's decision "unfair", adding that the news had affected the morale of the team. "I have known Odumbe for a long time and he always gives 100 percent in his appearances," said Tikolo. "He has been an integral part of this team and his absence will affect our performance in the future."

Odumbe played in 61 one-day internationals, and captained Kenya to a famous victory over West Indies at Pune in 1996. He won a Man-of-the-Match award in three consecutive World Cups, most recently against Bangladesh at Johannesburg in 2003, when his unbeaten 52 and a four-wicket haul carried Kenya towards the semi-finals.