Former West Indies cricketer Marlon Samuels has been banned from all cricket for six years after being found guilty of violating the Emirates Cricket Board’s (ECB) anti-corruption code. The ban took effect on November 11, 2023.

Samuels was charged by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in September 2021 with four counts of violating the ECB’s anti-corruption code. The charges related to his conduct during the Abu Dhabi T10 league in 2019, where he was part of the Karnataka Tuskers but did not play.

The tribunal found that Samuels’s conduct was a serious breach of the ECB’s anti-corruption code and that he should be banned from all cricket for six years. The ban is the maximum penalty that can be imposed under the ECB’s anti-corruption code.

Samuels has a history of disciplinary problems. In 2008, he was banned for two years for giving a false statement to the ICC.

The ICC has welcomed the tribunal’s decision. In a statement, the ICC said that the ban was “a strong deterrent to any participant who intends to break the rules”.

The four charges Samuels was found guilty of are listed below:

1. 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.

2. Article 2.4.3 – Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official receipt of hospitality with a value of US $750 or more.

3. Article 2.4.6 – Failing to cooperate with the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation.

4. 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.

Though he is retired now, Mr. Samuels was a participant when the offenses were committed. The ban of six years will be a strong deterrent to any participant who intends to break the rules,” Alex Marshall, the head of ICC’s HR and Integrity Unit, said.

Marlon Samuels, a former West Indies cricketer, played over 300 matches for his country throughout an illustrious 18-year career, amassing an impressive 17 centuries. He even held the captaincy of the Caribbean team in ODIs. Samuels was a crucial member of the West Indies teams that triumphed in the T20 World Cups of 2012 and 2016.