Ex-West Indies star Marlon Samuels banned from cricket for six years

AFP | New Delhi

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Former West Indies star Marlon Samuels has been banned from all cricket for six years for breaching an anti-corruption code, the sport's world body said on Thursday.

The charges relate to the 42-year-old's stint in a T10 league in the United Arab Emirates in 2019. He has since retired from all cricket.

The former top-order batsman -- who was also banned in 2008 -- was found by an independent tribunal to have made four breaches of the Emirates Cricket Board's Anti-Corruption Code.

"Though he is retired now, Mr Samuels was a participant when the offences were committed," said Alex Marshall, general manager of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

"The ban of six years will act as a strong deterrent to any participant who intends to break the rules."

Samuels played a key role in the West Indies' two T20 World Cup triumphs, in 2012 and 2016.

He played 71 Tests, 207 one-day internationals and 67 T20s for the West Indies between 2000 and 2018.

One of the charges was that he failed to disclose "the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or other benefit" that "could bring the participant or the sport of cricket into disrepute", said the ICC.

The ban took effect on November 11.

"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," said Marshall.

Other offences included failing to disclose "receipt of hospitality with a value of $750 or more" and failing to cooperate with the investigation.

He scored over 11,000 international runs and also took more than 150 wickets in a career marred by several controversies.

He was banned for two years in 2008 after being caught on tape passing on match-related information to an Indian bookmaker during the West Indies' ODI tour of India in 2007.