Former West Indies star batter Marlon Samuels was banned from all cricket on Thursday for six years after he was found guilty of breaching the Emirates Cricket Board’s (ECB) Anti-Corruption Code.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed that “Samuels was charged by the ICC—in their capacity as the Designated Anti-Corruption Official under the ECB Code—on a total of four charges in September 2021 and then found guilty of the offences in August this year. The six-year ban was confirmed by the ICC on Thursday, and it will commence from November 11, 2023.
The four charges that Samuels was found guilty of are Article 2.4.2 (by a majority decision) – Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality, or other benefit that was made or given in circumstances that could bring the participant or the sport of cricket into disrepute. Article 2.4.3 (unanimous decision)- Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official receipt of hospitality with a value of USD 750 or more. Article 2.4.6 (unanimous decision) – Failing to cooperate with the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation.
Article 2.4.7 (unanimous decision) – Obstructing or delaying the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation by concealing information that may have been relevant to the investigation.
The ban was announced on Thursday by Alex Marshall, the head of the ICC HR and Integrity Unit, and he said, “Samuels played international cricket for close to two decades, during which he participated in numerous anti-corruption sessions and knew exactly what his obligations were under the Anti-Corruption Codes.”
“Though he is retired now, Samuels was a participant when the offences were committed. The six-year ban will act as a strong deterrent to any participant who intends to break the rules,” Marshall added.
