Samuels case shows corruption still exists, ICC says

MUMBAI, India, May 13 (Reuters) - Marlon Samuels's punishment for links with a bookmaker should serve as a warning to other players and officials to beware of corruption in cricket, a senior official said on Tuesday.

"It is never pleasant when a player is banned but the process in arriving at this point has been an extremely thorough one and we hope the case serves as a reminder to players and officials to remain vigilant," International Cricket Council (ICC) acting chief executive officer David Richardson said in a statement.

"Corruption is a serious matter, dealing with it effectively is fundamental to the integrity of our sport and this matter is a demonstration that its threat has not gone away," Richardson said.

Jamaican Samuels, 27, was found guilty on Monday of breaching the ICC's rules of conduct during the tour of India early last year.

A West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) disciplinary committee said Samuels had "received money, benefit or other reward which could bring him or the game of cricket into disrepute".

The offence carries a mandatory two-year ban, effective from May 9. Samuels has denied giving any information to a bookmaker.

The ICC said an inquiry led by code of conduct commission chairman Michael Beloff would review the WICB committee's findings to decide if the punishment was sufficient and would make any recommendations necessary to the ICC board's July meeting in Dubai.

(Reporting by Sanjay Rajan; Editing by Clare Fallon)