West Indies keeper, Devon Thomas receives five-year ban for Anti-Corruption breaches

West Indian cricketer Devon Thomas has been handed a five-year ban from all cricket by the ICC after admitting to breaching anti-corruption codes across various cricket leagues, including Sri Lanka Cricket, Emirates Cricket Board, and the Caribbean Premier League.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Thursday that Devon Thomas, the 34-year-old West Indian wicketkeeper-batter, has been banned from all cricket for five years. Thomas admitted to breaching seven counts of the anti-corruption codes of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Having made his international debut in 2009, Thomas has represented West Indies in 1 Test, 21 ODIs, and 12 T20Is, with his last appearance dating back to August 2022.

Alex Marshall, the ICC General Manager - Integrity Unit, stated, "Having played both international and professional domestic/franchise cricket, Devon attended numerous 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. This ban is apt and should send a strong message to players and corrupters that attempts to corrupt our sport will be dealt with firmly."

The ban, which includes the suspension of the last 18 months, is effective from May 23, 2023, the date Thomas was provisionally suspended. The sanctions were imposed for violating various codes of conduct, including contriving or attempting to fix matches, failing to disclose corrupt conduct, and obstructing anti-corruption investigations, across multiple cricket leagues.