Kenyan fans express their feelings about the Odumbe case

Supporters of Kenyan cricketer Maurice Odumbe demonstrated as an inquiry into misconduct allegations made against him began in Nairobi.

He is accused of having "inappropriate contact with a known bookmaker, and receiving money, benefit, or reward from that bookmaker."

An ex-girlfriend of Odumbe told the inquiry panel how he introduced her to bookmaker Jagdish Sodha.

Odumbe could face a ban ranging from two years to life if found guilty.

The 35-year-old has featured in 61 one-day internationals for Kenya and captained the team to a famous World Cup victory over West Indies in 1996.

He was also a member of the side which shocked the cricket world by reaching the semi-finals at last year's tournament in South Africa.

Odumbe could face a lengthy ban if found guilty

Odumbe was charged following an investigation by the International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, which is led by Lord Condon, the former head of London's Metropolitan Police.

A member of the anti-corruption team, Jeffrey Ross, told the hearing: "The extent of betting on cricket is incredible. There is a significant and growing market."

But questioning Ross, Odumbe's lawyer Ishan Kapila accused the ICC of double standards.

Long silence

He cited the case of Shane Warne and Mark Waugh, who were fined for giving information to a bookmaker in Sri Lanka in 1994.

The Australian Cricket Board only made the matter public in 1998.

Warne and Waugh made a public admission six years ago

"They conspired to keep that information secret for years and Malcolm Speed, the man at the helm of Australian cricket then, is now chief executive of the ICC, " said Kapila.

Odumbe's defence would "revolve around the issue of unfairness", he added.

Overseas trips

Earlier, Canadian Caitlan Patterson, who had a two-year affair with Odumbe, claimed Sodha visited their home Kenya in September 1999.

She said Odumbe told her he did "funny things" which she took to mean fixing matches.

Another former girlfriend, Katja Nilsson, said she had seen Odumbe take "large amounts of cash in dollars" on overseas trips.

In May, Odumbe's lawyer acknowledged his client did business with Sodha, but was not aware he was a bookmaker.

One witness has been given permission to testify in private, and their identity will remain secret.

The hearing is expected to last for up to five days.