Devon Thomas banned for five years for anti-corruption violations

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CMC):

Former West Indies player Devon Thomas was banned from the sport yesterday for five years after he admitted to seven anti-corruption breaches.

According to a news release from the International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport’s world organising body, the 34-year-old Antiguan wicketkeeper-batsman and occasional pace bowler admitted to “breaching seven counts of the anti-corruption codes of Sri Lanka Cricket, the Emirates Cricket Board, and the Caribbean Premier League”.

The most serious offence was related to “contriving or being party to attempts to fix the outcome of matches” in the 2021 Lanka Premier League (LPL) Twenty20 tournament.

Thomas also admitted to several charges of failing to report illegal approaches at the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 tournament, and 2021 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 to the authorities, and obstructing investigations.

“This ban is apt and should send a strong message to players that attempt to corrupt our sport will be dealt with firmly,” Alex Marshall, ICC general manager, Integrity Unit, said.

The ban will be backdated to May 23 last year when Thomas was provisionally suspended, and the final 18 months are suspended, pending his cooperation with witness statements and testimony, if necessary, in an ongoing investigation and not committing further offences.

Four of the breaches relate to matches in the LPL, another relates to matches in the Abu Dhabi T10, and the other two relate to matches in the CPL three years ago.

“Having played both international and professional domestic/franchise cricket, Devon attended numerous anti-corruption education sessions,” Marshall added.

“He, therefore, knew what his obligations were under the anti-corruption codes, but failed to meet these obligations across three different franchise leagues.”

Thomas made his international debut 15 years ago, and he has played 21 One-day Internationals, the last of them 11 years ago in a chequered career in which has also played 12 Twenty20 Internationals and made only one Test appearance against Australia in December 2022.