Maurice Odumbe, the disgraced former captain of Kenya, has lost his bid to have his five-year suspension from the game lifted.

Odumbe, who was banned in August 2004 for his associations with bookmakers, had sought in Nairobi's High Court to have the punishment imposed by Cricket Kenya and ICC overturned.

However, Justice Roseline Wendoh agreed with lawyers representing Cricket Kenya - formerly the Kenyan Cricket Association - that the decision was not one the court should make. "The KCA and ICA are private entities not subject to judicial review," she said. "The applicant, therefore, has no cause against the defendants."

She added that the player having submitted to the code of conduct and rules of the ICC were sufficient to determine his case.

The ban was issued by a tribunal set up by the Kenya Cricket Association, the forerunner of CK, and the ICC to investigate acts of misconduct by the player.