Vincent confirms fix probe involvement

Vincent today issued a statement confirming he is cooperating with an International Cricket Council investigation.

"I wish to let everyone know that I am cooperating with an ongoing ICC Anti-Corruption investigation that has been made public today.

"This investigation is bound by a number of rules and regulations that mean I am unable to make any further public comment.

"I will personally talk to the public when I am able to. In the meantime I cannot comment. Please respect me and my family's privacy until such time."

Chris Cairns, who has been named by The New Zealand Herald and other UK media outlets, as another involved in the investigation, said he hadn't been aware of the allegations against him until today.

On why his name has been raised, Cairns said: "I'm unsure. With regards to what's happened I've said I've been through a very arduous process in England last year, that's on record, and I stand by that, and with regards to what's occurred now, I just like to reiterate the fact that I've spoken to no body from any of those anti-corruption or ICC."

Cairns said he had had no contact with any ICC investigators and "my heart sank'' when he found out he had been linked with the allegations.

Cairns had been commentating on New Zealand’s Test match against West Indies but left the ground to return to his family after learning he had been linked to the probe. 

Cairns, Vincent and other former players - who have been named by some media outlets but not confirmed - are the subject of a probe by the International Cricket Council into "fixing activity".

NZ Cricket chief executive David White said he was shocked by the allegations, and was aware of the players involved, but declined to go into details. 

"This is an investigation that is being run by the ICC and I simply can't comment any further," he said in Dunedin.

"We are shocked and surprised by the allegations. We support the ICC's investigation as corruption has no place in our sport."

White declined to reveal how many players were under scrutiny saying only that it was "a small number" but the allegations had rocked NZ Cricket. 

The ICC issued a statement today saying no players have been charged with any offence but a probe is ongoing into "fixing activity" and related matters.

"The ICC confirms that it has indeed been working closely over the past few months with its colleagues in the domestic anti-corruption units of member boards to investigate these and related matters," the statement read.

"The ICC and all of its members maintain a zero-tolerance attitude towards corruption in the sport, and the ACSU will continue to collaborate with relevant individuals in order to complete its investigation process."

White said it had been aware of the probe for several months against the former players.

"No current New Zealand players are being investigated. No games played in New Zealand are being investigated and no matches under New Zealand Cricket jurisdiction are being investigated," he said.

Meanwhile, veteran allrounder Jacob Oram fears for the damage done to New Zealand cricket if a big-name player is found guilty of match-fixing by the ICC.

Oram says he has no idea who is being probed and hopes the four-month-old investigation uncovers no wrongdoing.

He says he will be angry and disappointed with any other outcome and is concerned at how deeply cricket could be scarred at all levels.

"I hope it's not one of our greats," Oram told LiveSport Radio.

"The world would just get turned upside-down if it was some of New Zealand's biggest names. Those records and those reputations would be gone forever."

The 35-year-old says a severe punishment needs to be handed to any player found to be involved in fixing to act as a deterrent.

He suggests a life ban although concedes there may need to be some leeway.

"If you're an 18-year-old and you're caught up and some senior guy drags you into it because you're scared of your place in the team, that could be very harsh," he said.

"But something needs to be done to get rid of this in cricket because it's a bit of a cancer."

The revelation comes less than a week after the government released a report into corruption into New Zealand sport in which it asserted there was little to be concerned about.

However, Sports Minister Murray McCully promised to ramp up the fight against corruption by implementing greater information sharing among government and sporting bodies to stamp out potential match-fixing, doping and illegal activity.

The report was instigated after the Australia Crime Commission (ACC) earlier this year linked organised crime and banned substances to several Australian sporting codes including rugby league and Australian Rules football.