WELLINGTON: Disgraced former New Zealand batsman Lou Vincent on Tuesday was banned for life from cricket for match-fixing, admitting he was a cheat who had shamed the sport and his country.
“My name is Lou Vincent and I am a cheat,” said in a statement. “I have abused my position as a professional sportsman on a number of occasions by choosing to accept money through fixing.”
The punishment, which was confirmed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), stems from one-day matches that Vincent admitted he helped rig in English county cricket.
His former Sussex teammate, Naveed Arif, was also banned for life last month after admitting similar corruption offences.
The ECB said in a statement that Vincent pleaded guilty to 18 breaches of its anti-corruption regulations.
Four charges related to a T20 match between Lancashire and Durham in June 2008. The remaining 14 concerned two fixtures played in August 2011 — a Sussex v Lancashire T20 and a Sussex v Kent CB40 match.
“We are extremely pleased that the matter has now been brought to a satisfactory conclusion and that an individual who repeatedly sought to involve others in corrupt activity for his own personal gain has accepted that his conduct warrants a lifetime ban from cricket,” said ECB chief David Collier.
“It once again highlights our resolve to keep cricket clean and rid the game of the tiny minority who seek to undermine the sport’s integrity.”
Time has come to face consequences: Vincent
Vincent, 35, has given additional evidence to International Cricket Council anti-corruption investigators about his involvement in fixing in five countries between 2008 and 2012.
Among his allegations were that a ‘world-famous international’ dubbed ‘Player X’ recruited him into the murky world of match-rigging.
New Zealand legend Chris Cairns has said he believes he is Player X but questioned Vincent’s credibility and vehemently denied any involvement.
Vincent’s statement about his ban made no reference to Cairns or any other player.
Instead, he said he had shamed his homeland and the game, prompting him to come clean to try to ease his conscience.
“Speaking out and exposing the truth, laying bare the things I have done wrong is the only way I can find to begin to put things right,” he said.
“The time has come for me to now face them like a man and accept the consequences.”
Vincent played in 23 Tests and 102 one-dayers for New Zealand before retiring from international cricket in 2007.
After that, he travelled the globe playing in numerous domestic leagues before retiring early last year.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 2nd, 2014.
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COMMENTS (3)
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how many more cricketers are going about doing this sort of cronje-esque fixing, is anyone's guess the gentleman's game has been infiltrated by not-so-gentle souls one would have expected that after the cronje incident (and subsequent death), players would have stopped this
atleast he is facing his follies like a man, as opposed to the pakistan trio
Applaud his courage to come forward and wish him all the strength in living an honest life from now on.