Just in: West Indies’ hit with five-year ban after agreeing to fix matches

West Indies batter Devon Thomas has been handed a five-year ban by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for match-fixing, with 18 months of the sentence suspended.

Thomas admitted to seven charges related to match-fixing activities in franchise-based leagues in Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, and the West Indies, the ICC announced on Thursday.

The ban is retroactive to May 23 of last year, when Thomas was provisionally suspended. The 34-year-old, who last represented the West Indies in August 2022, will be eligible to play again in November 2026.

Thomas confessed to agreeing to fix matches in the Lanka Premier League, believing it was necessary for his selection, and accepting money from an individual who approached him for match-fixing in the Caribbean Premier League, though he denied actually going through with any fix.

He also revealed that he was approached for match-fixing in the Abu Dhabi T10, which he declined, but failed to report the incident to the designated anti-corruption official, as required.

“This ban is appropriate and should send a strong message to players and corrupters that any attempts to corrupt our sport will be dealt with firmly,” said Alex Marshall, general manager of the ICC’s Integrity Unit, in a statement.

To avoid serving the suspended 18 months, Thomas must provide witness statements and testimony, if necessary, in an ongoing investigation and must refrain from committing further offenses, according to the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU).

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