Former West Indies batter Marlon Samuels has been banned from all cricket for six years after being found guilty of breaching the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) anti-corruption code. The ban commenced from November 11, 2023.
Samuels was charged by the ICC on four counts in September 2021 before he was found guilty of the offences in August this year. The charges relate to the Abu Dhabi T10 in 2019, where he was part of the Karnataka Tuskers but did not play.
The four charges Samuels was found guilty of were:
- Article 2.4.2 – 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 – Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official receipt of hospitality with a value of US $750 or more.
- Article 2.4.6 – Failing to cooperate with the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation.
- Article 2.4.7 – Obstructing or delaying the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation by concealing information that may have been relevant to the investigation.
“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,” Alex Marshall, the head of ICC’s HR and Integrity Unit, said.
“Though he is retired now, Mr Samuels was a participant when the offences were committed. The ban of six years will act as a strong deterrent to any participant who intends to break the rules.”
Samuels, who top-scored for West Indies in the final of both the 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cup, last played international cricket in 2018 and announced his retirement in November 2020 with over 11,000 international runs across formats. He was 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 benefit or other reward that could bring him or the game of cricket into disrepute”.
