West Indies batsman Devon Thomas has been banned from cricket for five years, with 18 months suspended, after admitting seven charges, including those relating to match-fixing in franchise-based leagues in Sri Lanka, the Emirates United Arabs and West Indies, says ICC.
The sentence will date back to May 23 last year, when the West Indies batsman was provisionally suspended. The 34-year-old, who last played for the West Indies in August 2022, will be eligible to play again in November 2026.
Thomas admitted that he agreed to fix matches in the Lanka Premier League believing it was necessary for his team, and accepted money from someone who approached him about fixing matches in the Caribbean Premier League, but he denied fixing matches.
He was also approached for match-fixing in Abu Dhabi T10 and turned it down, but did not report the incident to the designated anti-corruption official, Thomas told the ICC’s anti-corruption unit (ACU).
“This ban is appropriate and should send a strong message to players and corrupters that attempts to corrupt our sport will be dealt with firmly,” Alex Marshall, general manager of the ICC’s integrity unit, said in a statement.
Thomas must provide witness statements and testimony, if necessary, in an ongoing investigation and commit no further offenses to avoid serving the suspended 18 months, the ACU said in its official decision.
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Reuters
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