NZ board deny claims of players' links with bookies

New Zealand Cricket has confidently dismissed suggestions in the Sunday Times that New Zealand players had agreed to meet with a bookmaker to fix matches. The newspaper, on Sunday, released the results of an investigation it had conducted into fixing and quoted an Indian bookmaker as saying he had turned down the chance to work with New Zealand players because it was not worthwhile with more lucrative match-fixing opportunities on offer in the IPL.

"We have complete confidence that the claims made are baseless and have no credibility," NZC chief executive David White said in a statement responding to enquiries about the article. "The sources are not credible and the accusations are unsubstantiated making them irresponsible, damaging and untrue.

"The integrity and reputation of the game is paramount and NZC have absolute confidence that our players share these ideals. We have been in contact with the ICC anti-corruption unit and this is now a matter for them to follow up on."

The Sunday Times article claims that their undercover reporters' meetings with alleged bookmakers has revealed that fixing is still rife in cricket despite the recent imprisonments of four cricketers for spot-fixing. The ICC has routinely promised that it will investigate the claims uncovered by the newspaper's investigation.