‘Ye abhi bhi khel raha tha?’ – Fans react as Marlon Samuels gets banned from all forms of cricket for six years

Former West Indies all-rounder Marlon Samuels has been handed a six-year ban from all cricket by the International Cricket Board for violating the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) Anti-Corruption Code. Samuels, who retired from international cricket in 2020, was charged with four offences about his participation in the 2019 Abu Dhabi T10 league and was found guilty by an independent tribunal in August 2023.

According to the International Cricket Board, Samuels failed to disclose the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality, or other benefit that could bring him or the sport of cricket into disrepute, as well as the receipt of hospitality worth more than US $750. He also failed to cooperate with the investigation and obstructed or delayed it by concealing relevant information.

Marlon Samuels (Source: Twitter)

Marlon Samuels was found guilty of the following charges:

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 US $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.

Alex Marshall, the International Cricket Board’s General Manager – Integrity Unit, said that the six-year ban was necessary to deter any participant who intends to break the rules. “Marlon Samuels was a senior international cricketer who had participated in multiple editions of the  Men’s T20 World Cup and the ODI Cricket World Cup. He should have understood his responsibilities and obligations under the Code. He failed to cooperate with the investigation, tried to mislead the investigator by providing false information, and concealed information that was relevant to the investigation. This is unacceptable conduct and the ban of six years will act as a strong deterrent to any participant who intends to break the rules,” Marshall said in a statement.

Samuels, 42, had a controversial career that spanned 18 years and over 300 matches for West Indies. He scored 17 centuries across all formats and captained the team in ODIs. He was also a key member of the West Indies team that won the Men’s T20 World Cup in 2012 and 2016, scoring match-winning half-centuries in both finals. However, he also faced several disciplinary issues, including a two-year suspension for passing information to a bookmaker in 2007 and three bans for bowling with a suspect action. He also had on-field altercations with several opponents, such as Shane Warne, Ben Stokes, and Graham Onions.

See how fans have reacted: