Mark Richardson: 'Fixing' unlikely but ...

I am going in to bat for my countrymen. I don't believe any New Zealand player has been knowingly involved in any form of 'fixing' while playing for New Zealand or a New Zealand team.

I base this assumption on the fact that the culture in New Zealand teams just would not tolerate it. No player would risk being ostracised by his peers.

I've always believed New Zealand teams play with a mentality of proving themselves and deliberate under-performance would not be an option. It is hard enough for New Zealand to gain credibility in world cricket as it is, let alone feeling they have the luxury to drop a game or two or purposefully under-perform.

To make sure of a 'fix', the fixers would surely need to get to the captain and I feel the captain I played under was too interested in his captaincy record to be swayed.

But I would be naive to think New Zealand players have not been present in games that have involved fixing of some sort - some of those in New Zealand.

As a result of the recent controversy, a number of games played in New Zealand have been pointed out as suspicious.

At the time, the New Zealand players would have been as unaware as the spectators. It's just not in a sportsman's psyche to think foul play when they get dropped or a no-ball or wide is bowled or some field placing favours them.

You simply take the advantage and celebrate.

As for the current situation, can everyone just calm down?

Talk of banning Pakistan from cricket is over the top, as are life bans, and cricket is definitely not in total turmoil. Three players have evidence against them that suggests corruption. As a consequence, some games are being brought into question.

This is not a new thing for Pakistan. Cricket has already survived numerous match-fixing scandals.

Corruption is a part of life and you'd have to be very sheltered to think it has not got its claws into cricket - for some time. It's organised crime and that will never be totally eradicated.

It can't be tolerated, so those caught red-handed must be punished. But the reality is that all you can do is keep it to acceptable levels. That is the job of the ICC's anti-corruption unit and we as spectators must trust they do their job and that most of what we view is legitimate.

If we don't, the game is ruined every time someone makes a mistake. If the anti-corruption unit is doing its job then, every so often, they may make a bust. Cricket must keep it in perspective.

In this case, banning Pakistan would be a regrettable knee-jerk response. World cricket needs Pakistan; they have some very good players.