Kiwi legend urges openness over match-fixing

MELBOURNE Stars coach Stephen Fleming yesterday said players should always be open about potential matchfixing approaches to help ensure they remain protected.

The former New Zealand captain and superstar batsman brushed with shady figures in 1999 when he was asked to join a match-fixing syndicate for a large financial sum.

But Fleming immediately reported the interaction, which he said hindsight showed was “exactly the right thing” to do.

“I felt very uncomfortable and, along with the manager, we just documented all interaction with the individual and group and reported it,” Fleming said yesterday.

“It was early days as to what to be aware of and what to look out for. Thankfully we had done that (anti-corruption education), because it did turn out that this group and individual had approached others.

“From a player point of view the more open you can be the better because it just protects you down the line.

“When the story broke it was apparent there were a number of attempts to get players to manipulate games.”

The Stars and Renegades were both unfazed by explosive claims that Big Bash League games were corruption targets only days out from the start of the season.

Both clubs were away on camps when world cricket was momentarily rocked, but neither formally discussed the tabloid headlines.

Renegades coach Andrew McDonald said there was faith in anti-corruption officers to find and prosecute any offend- ers. “Until people are charged you’ve got to have the mindset that they’re innocent until proven guilty, and that’s what those (anti-corruption) people at the ICC are paid money to do,” McDonald

“We’ve got integrity people that give us talks every year and it’s quite simple — you don’t enter into betting.

“You’re actually not even allowed to discuss teams with individuals outside of it so in- formation is kept in-house. “The (players) were surprised by it in all honesty. You are surprised when it lands on your doorstep, but the integrity people do a wonderful job in this country around that protecting the game.’’

Fleming said there was “faith and confidence” in Cricket Australia’s anti-corruption measures.

“We have to trust the processes in place,” he said.