Lou Vincent reveals how he turned into a fixer

Lou Vincent claims that he has never fixed matches for New Zealand

After the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) committee banned former New Zealand international Lou Vincent for his involvement in fixing, the batsmen spoke in an interview and explained how he fell into fixing – what he calls as “thick spider web."

"I thought 'the whole game's corrupt so who cares'. It was ludicrous and I was completely gullible,” sues Vincent.

Impossible to turn down “The Don”

He admitted that he was first approached to fix matches when he was part of the unauthorized Indian Cricket League. He mentioned that he refused the initial offer of $15000 and a present in the form of a women and reported the same to his fellow player whom he refers as "The Don" and "My Hero” only to find him to be already involved in fixing.

"Being around this person who oozed self-confidence and self-esteem was uplifting. I went to this person's room, explained my situation, then he paused, looked up and said 'that's great, a good cover because now you're working for me and we're going to be fixing matches’.

"Try saying no to that. He said the ICL was unsanctioned, like backyard cricket, exhibition stuff, so fixing was OK and he'd pay me $50,000 per game," Vincent said to the New Zealand Herald.

"It was the last game of the tournament, the World XI v Indian XI. I got a tap on the shoulder between innings saying 'we're fixing this'. I was told to bat slow, use up balls and get out,” Vincent told.

After scoring a slow 15, he eventually ended up hitting a six and a four in an attempt to get out for which the person he refers to as “the Don, the boss, My Hero,” threatened him with a cricket bat.

Getting caught in England

He was soon back in touch with that person who wanted him to meet another “My Hero,” through whom he fixed matches at Lancashire in England. It was for his approach in trying to lure fellow opener Mal Loye, he was first reported to ECB and was banned after found guilty for a total of 18 fixing charges.

"One time I was given an address at an industrial site in Birmingham. I went to a pre-instructed street number and knocked.

"I heard a latch and then the door opened and I walk into a small laundry. An elderly Indian couple in their 60s or 70s welcomed me. I'd been rung to say pick out any 20 pound note, and text the barcode to a bookie. I passed it on to these guys to verify my entrance. They said 'there's your bag of cash' and off I went," he said.

The Kiwi expressed that he is not revealing these details for any soft feelings towards him. He also mentioned that he has never fixed matches involving his country but for Auckland during the 2012 Champions League T20 held in South Africa owing to a difficult financial position.

"The only way I can see of moving forward is through blunt honesty by sharing my story. I don't want sympathy, I want understanding. I'm a pretty decent bloke, a good lad who simply got dragged into a thick spider web," said the right hand batsman who has played in 23 Test matches and 102 one-day internationals for the Blackcaps.

"I'm gutted for my teammates because some of them looked up to me. I abused their trust. One of the hardest things for me to do will be facing up to the Auckland boys. I let them all down.

"I want to be free now to be myself. Yes, there's a stigma as the first New Zealand [professional] sportsperson to be done [for life] as a cheat. That's horrendous, but life has to go on and wrongs have to be turned into rights," concluded Vincent.