Marlon Samuels banned from all cricket for six years for breaching anti-corruption code

Former West Indian batter Marlon Samuels has been banned from all cricket for six years by the ICC after he was found guilty of corrupt behavior during the 2019 Abu Dhabi T10, where he was part of the Karnataka Tuskers but did not not played.

An independent tribunal found Samuels guilty of four counts, including accepting favors that brought him and the game into disrepute and withholding information from investigating authorities. He had been punished for a similar offense 15 years ago.

“Samuels played international cricket for almost two decades, during which he participated in numerous anti-corruption sessions and knew exactly what his obligations were under the anti-corruption codes,” said Alex Marshall, head of the ICC Human Resources and Integrity Unit. “Although he is now retired, Mr Samuels was a participant when the offenses were committed. The six-year ban will have a significant deterrent effect on any participant intending to break the rules.”

The Abu Dhabi T10 is a tournament organized by the Emirates Cricket Board, so their anti-corruption code is in force. Under its rules, the ICC conducts all investigations into violations and found that Samuels committed four of them.

• Article 2.4.2 (by majority decision) – Failure to disclose to the designated anti-corruption officer the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or other benefit that was made or given in circumstances that could cause the participant to or the sport of cricket has been discredited.

• Article 2.4.3 (unanimous decision) – Failure to disclose to the designated anti-corruption official the hospitality receipt worth US$750 or more.

• Article 2.4.6 (unanimous decision) – Failure to cooperate with the investigation of the designated anti-corruption official.

• Article 2.4.7 (unanimous decision) – Obstructing or delaying the investigation of the designated anti-corruption official by concealing information that could have been relevant to the investigation.

Samuels’ ban takes effect on November 11, 2023. He was initially charged by the ICC in September 2021 before being convicted of the offenses in August this year.

Samuels, who was West Indies’ top scorer in the 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cup finals, last played international cricket in 2018 and announced his retirement in November 2020 with over 11,000 international runs in all formats. He has been no stranger to controversy during his career, the lowest point of which was his two-year ban after being found guilty, in May 2008, of “receiving money, or any advantage or some other reward which might introduce him or the game of cricket.” disrepute”.