Devon Thomas: West Indies international cricketer gets five-year ban for match fixing

West Indies international cricket star Devon Thomas has been banned for five years after admitting seven anti-corruption breaches.

The 34-year-old, who made his international debut in 2009, has also admitted several charges of failing to report illegal approaches at the Abu Dhabi T10 and Caribbean Premier League to the authorities.

The all-rounder and occasional wicket keeper has represented the West Indies on 34 occasions across all formats, with his most recent appearance coming in 2022. BBC Sport has revealed that one of his most serious offences was contriving or being party to match-fixing attempts in Sri Lanka's domestic T20 competition in 2021.

Calling the five-year ban a "period of ineligibility," an ICC release stated the "the last 18 months of the period of ineligibility would be suspended."

"Having played both international and professional domestic/franchise cricket, Devon attended numerous anti-corruption education sessions," Alex Marshall, ICC General Manager - Integrity Unit, was quoted as saying in the release. 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."