IPL 2024

Devon Thomas charged with seven counts under Anti-Corruption codes

Devon Thomas, the West Indies batter, has been charged with seven violations of the ICC’s anti-corruption code, notably “contriving to fix” games, and has been placed on temporary suspension. Thomas has 14 days to give an answer after being selected for the West Indies team for the next three-ODI series versus the UAE in Dubai.

The accusations made against 33-year-old Thomas include his behaviour while competing in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the Abu Dhabi T10, and the Lanka Premier League (LPL), three franchise-based competitions.

In a statement to the media on Tuesday, the ICC said that Thomas had violated anti-corruption policies at each of the three competitions, and that the three boards in question—SLC, ECB, and CWI—had given their approval for its anti-corruption team to carry out the inquiry on their behalf. 

The most serious accusation levelled against Thomas dates back to the 2021 LPL season, when he was a member of the Kandy Warriors. Thomas, incidentally, participated in just one game throughout that season of the LPL.

Thomas was also charged with a single offence within the ECB code on failing to disclose information of a plan to engage in corrupt behaviour during the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament in 2021, while he was playing for the Pune Devils side.

The next two allegations stem from his performances in the previous two CPL seasons for the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots as well as Barbados Royals, respectively. One of the accusations relates to, once more, failing to divulge a strategy.  

The second charge against the Windies batter was “receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or benefit (a) that he knew or should have known was made in order to procure a breach of the CPL Code, or (b) could have brought the player or the game of cricket into disrepute.”

Thomas made his only appearance in the format for West Indies during the day-night Adelaide Test match against Australia in December 2022. Since his 2009 international debut, he has also played in 12 T20Is and 21 One-Day Internationals for the West Indies.