West Indies cricketer Devon Thomas, a West Indies cricketer, has been suspended by the ICC after being charged with seven offenses under the anti-corruption code. The charges include “contriving to fix” matches. Thomas, who was part of the West Indies squad for the upcoming three-ODI series against the UAE in Dubai, has been given a period of 14 days to respond to the charges.
The allegations against the 33-year-old cricketer pertain to his conduct during three franchise-based tournaments: the Lanka Premier League (LPL), the Abu Dhabi T10, and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). The ICC, in a media statement, revealed that Thomas had violated the anti-corruption codes in all three tournaments. The respective cricket boards associated with these tournaments, namely Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), and Cricket West Indies (CWI), have authorized the ICC’s anti-corruption unit to investigate the matter on their behalf. Cricket West Indies has issued a statement expressing full support for the ACU investigation and asserting its firm stance against corruption in cricket.
The West Indies cricketer, is facing a severe charge related to attempting to fix a match during the 2021 edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) while representing the Kandy Warriors. It is noteworthy that Thomas featured in only one game during that particular season of the LPL. In total, Thomas is confronted with four charges under the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) anti-corruption code regarding his conduct in the aforementioned tournament.
These accusations include participation in a fix or attempt to fix, improperly interfering with a match’s outcome or development, concealing material information about contact with the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), declining to cooperate with the ACU investigation without a valid excuse, and obstructing or delaying the investigation by hiding, tampering with, or destroying pertinent records or information.
Devon Thomas, who participated in the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 as a member of the Pune Devils, was also charged under the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) code. This accusation specifically refers to his failure to reveal information about a plan to participate in corrupt behavior during the competition.
The remaining two charges against Thomas are from his participation in the last two editions of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), representing the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and the Barbados Royals respectively. One of the charges pertains to his failure to disclose an approach, similar to the ECB charge. In connection with the second complaint, he is accused of failing to disclose any gift, payment, hospitality, or advantage that he either knew or should have known was intended to persuade a player to violate the CPL Code or that may potentially bring both the player and the game of cricket into disrepute.
Thomas’ most recent appearance for the West Indies came in the day-night Test against Australia in Adelaide in December 2022, marking his sole Test match appearance. He has also represented the West Indies in 21 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 12 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) since making his international debut in 2009. The charges against him raise significant concerns about his integrity and adherence to the anti-corruption regulations in cricket.