ICC Enforces Five-Year Ban on Antigua’s Devon Thomas for the Violation of Anti-Corruption Code

The Devon Thomas, who represented the Man in Maroon in a Test, 21 ODIs, and 12 T20s and played over 100 first-class games, has been handed a five-year ban by ICC. Barring him from any type of cricket until November of 2026. The ban was confirmed on Thursday by ICC, following his acceptance of violating the ICC Code of Anti-Corruption and fixing the games in the franchise leagues of Sri Lanka, the Caribbean, and the United Arab Emirates.

Hailing from Antigua, Devon Thomas established an image of a resilient and well-suited longer format player. He made his debut for West Indies in an ODI game against Bangladesh in 2009 at the Roseau, Dominica. A few days later, he also made his T20 International debut against the same opponent. However, he made his Test Debut only in 2022 during a challenging Australia tour, which also ended up being his only Test match to date.

Despite his relatively mediocre stats in his short international career, Devon Thomas’s talent has led him to play for franchise teams such as Barbados Royals, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Kandy Warriors, and Sylhet Sunrisers.

Overview of the Ban

The entire Thomas fiasco dates back to May 2023, almost a year ago. He was then suspended by the ICC for breaching seven Anti-Corruption Charges, and a report released by the ICC also stated that he had ‘contrived to fix’ games. Of these seven charges, one was from the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) code, two were from the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) code, and four were from the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) anti-corruption code.

The ICC made a statement right after the allegations were filed against the West Indian batter, stating that the most serious of the seven charges against him was match-fixing in the 2021 LPL when he represented the Kandy Warriors.

The ICC has now referred to the five-year suspension as a ‘period of ineligibility,’ and it has also underlined that the last 18 months of ineligibility will be suspended.

He faced four charges under the SLC anti-corruption code, including contriving or participating in schemes to influence match outcomes, failure to disclose approach details to the ACU, lack of cooperation in an investigation, and obstructing the investigation by tampering with evidence. Additionally, he faced a single charge under the ECB code for not disclosing an approach to engage in corrupt behavior during the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 while playing for the Pune Devils. The two remaining charges stemmed from his participation in the 2022 and 2021 editions of the CPL with St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and Barbados Royals, respectively. One charge involved failing to disclose an approach, while the other pertained to not reporting gifts or benefits that could compromise the integrity of cricket or the CPL Code.

Alex Marshall on the Devon Thomas Case

The latest statement released by ICC also included a statement by the ICC General Manager of the Integrity Unit, Alex Marshall. “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 34-year-old Devon Thomas last played a professional cricket game in May 2023, and he will have to wait more than two years to play his next professional game.

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