LONDON: West Indies cricketer Devon Thomas has been handed a five-year ban from all forms of cricket by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after admitting to seven breaches of anti-corruption regulations. The announcement was made by the ICC on Thursday.
The ICC stated that 18 months of the ban were suspended, with the penalty backdated by a year.
Thomas, who has represented the West Indies in 34 matches across all three international formats between 2009 and 2022, was found guilty of committing violations during three separate tournaments – the Caribbean Premier League, the Lanka Premier League, and the Abu Dhabi T10.
Among the charges, the most severe saw the 34-year-old cricketer admitting to his involvement in match-fixing attempts during the Sri Lanka-based tournament.
Additionally, Thomas confessed to several instances of failing to report illegal approaches made to him by individuals seeking to engage in corrupt activities.
Commenting on the matter, Alex Marshall, the general manager of the ICC’s integrity unit, stated, “Having played both international and professional domestic/franchise cricket, Devon attended several anti-corruption education sessions. He therefore knew what his obligations were under the anti-corruption codes but failed to meet these obligations across three different franchise leagues.”
Marshall emphasized that the ban reflects the seriousness with which the ICC treats corruption in cricket and serves as a stern warning to players and those involved in corrupt practices that such behavior will be met with strict repercussions.
