'We need to talk about shadowy fixing'

Cricket365
May 20, 2014

Former Test fast bowler Iain O'Brien has implored the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption and security unit to act promptly in a growing bid to combat spot- and match-fixing.

Earlier this week, New Zealand Cricket confirmed that captain Brendon McCullum has testified before the ICC's ACSU – but is not under investigation for bribery or fraud in the game.

The <i>Daily Mail</i> recently published parts of McCullum's statements which reportedly revealed an illegal approach by a former player during the first edition of the Indian Premier League in 2008.

"It's taken a long time, we're talking about an approach way back in 2008, that's a long time ago, we haven't had any resolution since then," O'Brien told <i>ESPNcricinfo</i>.

"As cricketers we are kind of dealing with an organisation that hasn't done enough – maybe leaking it, McCullum's testimony, is the way to get things moving forward."

Erstwhile Black Caps batsman Lou Vincent, meanwhile, has revealed involvement in an ICC anti-corruption investigation in February last year.

Vincent said he had been approached by an illegal bookmaker during the 2013 Bangladesh Premier League – and has allegedly reported attempted fixing during England's domestic limited-overs competitions.

"We need to talk about it, we need to realise how entrenched and how shadowy that this all is, and if we don't discuss it, we don't try and push things forward then it just keeps ticking over in the background, until we actually confront this and confront it properly, there's always going to be rumours and speculation, let's have it all out in the open," concluded O'Brien.

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