Cricket: Vincent awaits breach penalty

Lou Vincent.

Ex-Black Cap admits failing to report approach from match fixers while playing in Bangladesh.

Former NZ cricketer Lou Vincent faces a wait of up to a fortnight to learn his punishment after pleading guilty to not reporting an approach from illegal bookmakers.

Vincent was one of nine people investigated as part of an anti-corruption inquiry into match-fixing in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

"I can confirm that I admitted a breach in January 2014 of the ICC [International Cricket Council] code in failing to report an approach from a bookmaker whilst playing in the Bangladesh T20 league in January 2013," Vincent said yesterday.

"I confirm I rejected the approach at the time. There is no allegation or suggestion anything untoward occurred beyond the approach itself.

"I also express I have no involvement in any of the matches, or matters, involving the other parties which were the subject of recent hearings and investigation in Bangladesh."

Vincent played eight matches for Khulna Royal Bengals in the 2013 season.

NZ Cricket chief David White told the Herald his organisation was "concerned the name of a former New Zealand player is linked with the Bangladesh Premier League investigation".

The judicial process and legalities of the situation made it impossible to comment further, he said. "But we are strong advocates of the ICC's anti-corruption processes."

Bangladesh Cricket set up an Anti-corruption Tribunal to look into the claims of match-fixing in the 2013 tournament.

One of the owners of the Dhaka Gladiators has been convicted by the tribunal of "being a party to an effort to fix" a match against Chittagong.

Vincent, Sri Lankan Kaushal Lokuarachchi and former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful all admitted being guilty of the charges they each faced.

Shakil Kasem, a member of the tribunal, told AFP: "We're going to review their guilty pleas, deliberate on that and come up with sanctions within two weeks."

Vincent is also subject to more ICC investigations into possible match-fixing. Two other players, Chris Cairns and Daryl Tuffey, were also named as being subjects of an ICC probe. Cairns has repeatedly and strenuously denied any wrongdoing.