October 18, 2025 • 21 mins
Disgraced former New Zealand cricket star Lou Vincent has spoken out on the tolls of match fixing.
Over a decade ago, Vincent was banned for life for his involvement in attempting to manipulate cricket matches overseas, including in England, South Africa, India and Bangladesh.
His ban was later relaxed in December 2023, as it was believed he demonstrated sufficient levels of contrition and remorse.
He joined Piney to discuss his motivations behind helping others avoid match-fixing.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk zb.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Lou Vincent was one of our most explosive, exciting, energetic cricketers.
He played all three formats for the black Caps between
two thousand and one and two thousand and seven, including
one hundred and two One Day Internationals, scoring three Test
centuries and another three ODI hundreds. One of those international
hundreds was on Test debut against Australia at the Whacker
(00:36):
in two thousand and one, when he made one hundred
and four against a bowling attack of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie,
Brett Lee and Shane Warn. He followed it up with
fifty four in the second innings at the Base from
Reserve and Wellington. At the end of the summer of
two thousand and four five he made two hundred and
twenty four to guide New Zealand to an innings win
over Sri Lanka. Lou Vincent lost his New Zealand contract
(01:00):
in two thousand and eight, played county cricket and signed
up for the Indian Cricket League. Arrive to the Indian
Premier League, where he was recruited into a spot fixing ring.
In July twenty fourteen, he admitted eighteen breaches of the
England and Wales Cricket Board's anti corruption rules and was
banned from cricket for life. Nine and a half years later,
(01:23):
in December twenty twenty three, that ban was relaxed, allowing
him to be involved in cricket at domestic level and below.
In August of last year, he was presented with a
cap marking his one hundred one day international appearances, nearly
seventeen years after he earned it. The presentation made by
Sir Richard Hadley. According to Gerard Elias Kse, who heard
(01:46):
his appeal, the loosening of his band was due in
large part to lu Vincent demonstrating the very highest levels
of contrition and remorse and the very best efforts to
make amends wherever possible. To that end, he last week
addressed a Victoria Police symposium in Melbourne, covered a range
(02:07):
of integrity related issues in Sport. Lou Vincent is with
us on weekend Sport. Lou, thanks for taking the time.
Let's start with your speech in Melbourne. What sort of
content did you cover well?
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Because it was a private of firtival facts, very much
for having me on your station today, and you know,
obviously hats off in respect for what you've you've created,
you know, bringing bringing sport to our radios around the
world we turn in. So this week it was because
it was behind closed doors and you know there was
(02:41):
there's no media involved. It was you know, you could
obviously share a lot more uh stories about you know
what what what had happened to me and the journey
through the introduction and as you said, being recruited into
that spot fixing ring. And you know, it's all about
(03:01):
the integrity of sport, which where you know which you know,
you and I are sitting at home. What a game
of robio, a game of soccer, or a game of cricket.
We want to we want to see it being played
at one hundred percent. You know it's not only as
a fan, but you know, the sponsors that are involved,
and also for our children to continue on the sporting
(03:22):
legacy of all the codes and get them playing and
keep keep getting them active and getting them outdoors playing sports.
So the integrity is a massive part of protecting the game.
And I think you know, I, along with most of
your listeners, I'm sure we've all had a text message
or an email from scammers around the world constantly trying
to you know, breach you know, you know, a trustworthy
(03:47):
world that we wish we had lived in, but we've
got to be pretty vigilant that Unfortunately, there's there's there's
money and humans. There's going to be greed and potential corruption.
So my biggest, you know, my biggest asset I bring
to the table for these sports and gathering bodies is
(04:08):
you know, first hand experience about how it happened and
how I got recruited and who was involved, and share
these stories so the organization can be aware of potential
sort of risks to the to the sport.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
How how high loe do you think that risk to
the integrity of sport is? You know, like modern day
how high is that is that risk to the integrity
of sport?
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Well, a lot more sports and it's not just you
know the professional sports which is live on TV. We're
seeing you know, club soccer games, you know, club cricket
games all now streamed on the internet. And whenever something's
live and whenever something's streamed online, there's potential bidding sites,
you know, gambling sites around the world that are we'll
(05:00):
have odds on it. And there's also a lot of
illegal betting sites around the world that operate and you know,
I don't know the figures, but it's huge money, huge,
huge money in the black black market. And you know,
I think we're seeing you know, I know here in
New Zealand, where you know, a lot of sporting clubs
are are struggling with not only volunteers, but they're struggling
(05:21):
financially to keep running. So there the vulnerability of clubs
being approached, which which is the true story of it's happening.
You know, these these beddings send the kids are reaching
out to any club at any level, you know, offering sponsorship,
and what comes with that is you know sort of
you know, potential manipulation to the results of games. So
(05:44):
you know, it's not just like before the professional athletes,
just just sometimes your club, your club player can be
approached as well, which was which we're seeing. So it's
quite scary.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Jason, how did you get recruited?
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Well, seven years of having anti corruption meetings with the ICC,
which is all part of you know, playing domestic cricket
in the National cricket every tour you go on sit
there for half an hour and you get told by
a former cop that you know, be careful of this,
and be careful of the bookies and be careful of
the honey traps and stuff. And you know, when when
I got approached in India at the ICL, it was
(06:18):
an unsanctioned tournament, so you know, we didn't have that
sort of protection, but the education was always there and
you know, and a real brief, brief, brief summary of
what happened to me was, you know, the phone rang
was an Indian guy offering a batting sponsorship, which happens
every time you go to India. But because we you know,
sort of turned our back on mainstream cricket and signed
(06:40):
up for this rebel league where we were all free agents.
So we met the Indians other and chatted for you know, jeez,
a good hour or so, and you know, it was
as they do, they make you, They make you feel
pretty good. And a couple of whiskeys later and and
you know, your year, he goes pumped up and you know,
by that stage, I'd come off a bit of a
heavy mental breakdown at the end of my career, and
(07:02):
you know, to have that sort of attention and felt good.
And then when that's when you know, once he thought
he built that trust with me, it was like, well
the business is actually going to be spot fixing and
and he's fifteen thousand cash and handed over to me,
and that's when the penny dropped that this is all
those years of education, this is this is that that situation.
(07:23):
I've been approached by a bookie. And so I managed
to get out of that room as quick as I
could and went straight to my manager and reported it
and she was going to hand it over to the
security at the hotel and sought from there. So that
was the end of that part. But on the way
back down to my room, went past, you know, a
(07:45):
fellow cricketers room, and I said, you wouldn't believe it.
I've told told them the story and I said this
is what happened, and you know and you know, and
then that sort of there was that moment of science
of you've done the right thing, but now you're going
to be working for me, and there I am saying
yes straight away. So when I talk to these governing bodies,
(08:07):
I say, it's it's not so much the people that, yeah,
you don't know you're gonna worried about. It's the people
that you do know that recruit as well. And that's
certainly how it happened to me. And and that's how
it all sort of started, the spot fixing syndicate. I
was recruited into with people I knew and felt safe
and I felt yep, everyone else seems to be doing it,
(08:30):
and you know, this cript's just like a bunch of
correctly playing in the backyard. It just happens to be
on TV. It's unsanctioned and let's let's get a piece
of the pipe because everybody else is so, you know,
in a real brief nut show. That's how it's sort
of evolved for me that world and certainly changed my
life for the worst. And it's it's something I'm unfortunately
(08:52):
I've got to live with for the rest of my life. Yeah,
I've done, you know, years and years of work behind
the scenes to use what I've been through to help
the game and give give respect back to the game,
which I took it away. And you know, the summer
summed up with you know, at the end of it,
you know, applying you know to the ECB to have
(09:16):
the band possibly looked at and without any sort of hesitation,
they said, no, you've, as you said before my introduction,
you've you've you've created the benchmark of what's required of
a players you know, silly enough to be involved to
repair the damage that you've done and the good you're
doing for the game behind the scenes. And then to
(09:36):
Richard Hadley wanting to fly up and present that capt
to me was a real powerful, you know association for
me because that guy, as we know, is just a
complete legend and New Zealand sport. And for them to
align from South with me and present that capt to
me was it was a night I'll never forget. And
for my family to be there and you know, the
Lawyers and Players Association New Zealand Cricket to put that on,
(09:59):
yeah it was. It's awesome, awesome, really really grateful. And yeah,
I'm trying to, yeah, not look in the part too
much and just try and use every bit of negative
negativity and rough experience and bad experience and send it
into a good one. So that's my role in life now.
And I hope that you know, with these supposings that
(10:19):
I go to in these guest speaking engagements, I do.
It's a way of sharing my story in and helping
helping people and helping suporting associations to protect the integrity
of the sport.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
When you were asked a spot fakes, what did you
have to do?
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Well, at the time, it was score, score ten to fifteen,
runs off twenty balls and get out, which was pretty
much just bad normally.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
No suspicion, No suspicion was raised. It was just what
Luvinson does.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Yeah, get paid fifty grand for batting normally, Okay, no
worries obviously not. You know, it's all controlled and it's
all you know, it's not so much about that the
winning and losing of a game. It's about you know,
what's what's bet on and segments of the game and
sessions of the game. So that was certainly my role
as the opening batsman's to score ten to fifteen and
(11:14):
and get out. But the last game, the last game,
I think it's documented somewhere certainly in the in the
court case I was involved with, was you know, when
I was supposed to get out, I accidentally Darreth kind
of look at to miss it, get stumped. And I
still stay to this day, I swear to God that
boy had a big rock on the pitch and it's
spun into the middle of my back and went over
the umpire's head down to Longland who fumbled the catch
(11:36):
over his head for six. So instead of getting out,
I hit a six. So I wasn't very good at
that spot fixing doing my job. How were you paid
well at that particular time? It was all once we
had set up, you know, overseas, it was it was.
(11:57):
It was money owed to us and and and certainly
from the the person that recruited me. You know, he
never he never fulfilled that and that story I told
you about hitting out six off that ball when I
was supposed to get out. Yeah, he made it very
clear that night it was. He was very aggressive to
me and said that I'd cost the business millions that
(12:18):
night and I lost all that money. So you know,
it was, Yeah, it was a double double kick in
the guts by morally doing things wrong and then obviously
not getting anything for it. But you know, we could
talk for hours, and that's what I do, you know,
is obviously that's just a real small snippet of how
the next six thing evolved for me. In a certain
(12:39):
part of it, you know, I did I did get
paid via the course, which which you know, that's that's
more of a chat for at another time. Or attend
one of my sessions and listen to the detailed stories
that I do share, but I don't share those stories
today on the air.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
That's fair enough. Why did you decide to come clean
and admit your involvement?
Speaker 3 (13:05):
A couple of reasons. First myself. You know, when you
look in the mirror and you see this double life
you're living, and you know at the stage I have
two young daughters and you're trying to teach them, you know,
trust and being you know, loyal and have good morals,
and you know, how can you how can you say that?
And when when you went and you know, cricket gave
(13:25):
me everything? You know, yeah, I loved it from you know,
the age of four picking out my first bat and
and right through you know, to playing against Shane Warn
and Steve war and scoring one hundred on debut and
representing my country. You know, it's cricket gave me everything,
gave me a life. You know, I wasn't mentally or
prepared for that professional world, and it showed with my
(13:48):
inconsistencies and certainly you know, the breakdown towards the end.
I wasn't. I wasn't. I didn't have the tools to
be able to deal with that professional world. And it's
it's rather sad because I was clearly good enough and
to not fulfill my potential was frustrating. So being a parent,
look at the mirror myself and obviously you know the
(14:08):
game of cricket itself and what have given me in
and also the people that did get me involved in
the spot fixing and to see them heavily involved with
cricket academies and commentary and other parts cricket was like
hearing stories of them still recruiting. It was like, well,
there's four or five reasons why I need to come forward.
I'd retired. Yeah, there was questions being asked about me,
(14:29):
but you know, to sit down with Heath Mills and say, hey,
can we catch up for coffee and jeez, that coffee
stayed on that table for about eight hours and didn't
touch it while I shared the stories from from day
one right through and you know, you know, I didn't
make any excuses. I've owned it. You know, the consequences
from from coming forward. I had no idea what was
(14:52):
going to happen with bands or court cases or you know,
losing losing respect. And I have lost a lot of
friends in cricket and that's totally expected. You know, you
start life again and you know you realize that, you know,
you you meet a lot of people in that world,
but you know there's only one or two that stick
by you through the tough times. And yeah, it's been
(15:14):
been a real hard road along road since the end
of my career and when I've to today, it's taken,
definitely taken to toll. But I'm certainly grateful for the
people I've attracted to help me through this. And as
I said, because I didn't make any excuses and I've
owned it and I've done my time, I sort of
kind of feel, you know, things are ripening up for
me now. And you know the Black Clash game Duco
(15:37):
put on down and christ Church last year, that was huge.
That was that was a massive nervous occasion for me
to foot back into the arena and I wasn't quite
sure what the response was going to be. But you know,
as an Auckland are walking out on the pitch in
christ Church and having the Cantabs standing clap year. It
was again another powerful moment and in my in my
(15:58):
return into the public. So I'm extremely grateful.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
Yeah, I think it's it's just awesome that you know,
we we have you back. I guess we could say
how tough were the toughest times for you?
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Oh? You know, you understand suicide and you understand possibly
why people do it, and you know, you go to
some pretty dark places when you know you're not you're
not proud of the person that you've become. And it's
funny when you when you're sort of labeled something, all
of a sudden, everyone else thinks you're you know, it's
very quick to throw other labels at you. And and
(16:35):
you know when you're down, people love kicking you down
and keeping you down. And you know, it's like I said,
I'm here today. I've been resilient. You know, every time
I did look in the mirror, there was that moment
of what have I done? I just kept quiet. But no,
I wouldn't. I wouldn't change anything because where I'm at
today with a beautiful wife and a son, my son, Vinnie,
(16:58):
he's eighteen eighteen months old. And you know my daughters
do in a couple of weeks. You know, the right
with my two teenage daughters is a strange as strange unfortunately,
and dealing with alienation as a parent. It was you know,
the cricket stuff was hard, but to go through family
court and to live without your daughters around, it's frustrating.
(17:23):
But like I said, where I am today second chart
to the family, it's simple life and a drama free life.
And you know, stoke to be invited to these events
where we can really share my stories to help associations
and the integrity and sport around the world as.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
You have today. Just while I've got you, I want
to ask about your test debut Australia. Australia at the
whack Are You're twenty three years old. You walk out
to open the batting on the first morning with rigor.
He gets out in the sixth over. After six overs,
you're still on nought. The Matthew Sinclair gets out. You're
nineteen for two. But then it all turns around. You
get one hundred. What stands out most about that day.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Steve all knew my name before, before my before my
first ball. You take guard and you look up and
you see Glen mcgart at the top of the top
of us run up and you can't see any Australians
until you look behind the stumps and there's Gillesians, seven slips,
all clapping their hands, chewing the chewing gum, and Steve
will walks up to me and goes, hey, Lou, everybody
gets it duck in their first game. And I just
(18:28):
remember walking down to Rigor and say, Steve all knows
my name, I'd like to get his autograph.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
It's amazing. But the bowling attack, as you say, mcgrag Allspie,
britt Lee, you know, one hundred and sixty clicks, Shane
Warn but you get a hundred.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Yeah, well, hey listen, it's it's it's a dream, dream
come true. And you know it's obviously I got one hundred,
and everyone else thought, well out of Fluke can get
a hundred, and then four other guys got hundreds that
day as well, so it was pretty easy. I think
that Australians were, hey, who knows, no if I won't
say that, but no, no, it was. It was. It
(19:04):
was an incredible chest match for News Beyond overall, and
we came so close in that last day when Gillespie
gloved it down the eag side forty minutes a day
with Brettlee and McGrath in the hut. We you know,
things could have been different than if the umpire put
stuff this finger up, but no, just just fantastic and
so many great stories. At the MCG last week, my
(19:25):
introduction was to say it was good to be back here.
The last time I was here, I faced the world's
fastest bo one hundred and sixty one point five hilling
is an hour from Sean Tate hit me twice on
the leg and I looked in my pants and I
drew it on with a vivid and I said, look,
I've still got the bruise to prove it. I got.
I've got to smile. I've got to smile out of
the cops. You don't have to get cops giggling. So
(19:45):
it was, it was it's good to share some fun
stories as well as the dark stories. And that's I
think all your listeners can relate to that. You know,
you need bad times to make the good times better.
And you know it grounds us when we are, you know,
sort of at our lowest points in life to reassesst
life and where we want to get to and you
know again that's that's my role in life now is
(20:08):
to help as many people as I can.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Just to wrap this loew And it's been brilliant chatting
to your mate, and you've been so so honest and authentic.
What is your what is your relationship with cricket now? Uh?
Speaker 3 (20:24):
You know, very rarely do I reach out to any players.
You know, I'm grateful for guys I've been McCullum that have,
you know, sort of stood up and had to go through,
you know, the case with me, and he showed support
and he's gone on to some pretty great achievements. Stephen Fleming,
you know Daniel Toy last year. You know, when I
(20:46):
see him, it's it's great. But you know, will I
be a coach commentator? Probably not. I'm you know, I
think I'll just be doing some work behind the scenes.
But I just want to be a good person to
my family and the closest around me, so we'll see.
I'm not forcing anything. I'm just letting it organically play out.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Lo.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
It's been brilliant getting the chance to chat to you mate,
exciting time of head as you as you look forward
to a new arrival into your life as well. And
become a dad for the fourth time again. Mate, I
appreciate you your being so honest and open with us
this afternoon.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
Mate.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
I know our listeners would have got a lot out
of it and would have loved hearing from you again.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Yeah, and like I said this week, we just got
to do everything we can to keep a checking sport
because you know, we just don't want to see, you
see in anyone go through what I've been through and
the sport doesn't need it. So yeah, onwards it upwards.
All the best of you, Loo, Chez Chas and all
the best everybody out there as well.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Thank you for more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine.
Listen live to News Talk zed B weekends from midday
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk zb.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Lou Vincent was one of our most explosive, exciting, energetic cricketers.
He played all three formats for the black Caps between
two thousand and one and two thousand and seven, including
one hundred and two One Day Internationals, scoring three Test
centuries and another three ODI hundreds. One of those international
hundreds was on Test debut against Australia at the Whacker
(00:36):
in two thousand and one, when he made one hundred
and four against a bowling attack of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie,
Brett Lee and Shane Warn. He followed it up with
fifty four in the second innings at the Base from
Reserve and Wellington. At the end of the summer of
two thousand and four five he made two hundred and
twenty four to guide New Zealand to an innings win
over Sri Lanka. Lou Vincent lost his New Zealand contract
(01:00):
in two thousand and eight, played county cricket and signed
up for the Indian Cricket League. Arrive to the Indian
Premier League, where he was recruited into a spot fixing ring.
In July twenty fourteen, he admitted eighteen breaches of the
England and Wales Cricket Board's anti corruption rules and was
banned from cricket for life. Nine and a half years later,
(01:23):
in December twenty twenty three, that ban was relaxed, allowing
him to be involved in cricket at domestic level and below.
In August of last year, he was presented with a
cap marking his one hundred one day international appearances, nearly
seventeen years after he earned it. The presentation made by
Sir Richard Hadley. According to Gerard Elias Kse, who heard
(01:46):
his appeal, the loosening of his band was due in
large part to lu Vincent demonstrating the very highest levels
of contrition and remorse and the very best efforts to
make amends wherever possible. To that end, he last week
addressed a Victoria Police symposium in Melbourne, covered a range
(02:07):
of integrity related issues in Sport. Lou Vincent is with
us on weekend Sport. Lou, thanks for taking the time.
Let's start with your speech in Melbourne. What sort of
content did you cover well?
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Because it was a private of firtival facts, very much
for having me on your station today, and you know,
obviously hats off in respect for what you've you've created,
you know, bringing bringing sport to our radios around the
world we turn in. So this week it was because
it was behind closed doors and you know there was
(02:41):
there's no media involved. It was you know, you could
obviously share a lot more uh stories about you know
what what what had happened to me and the journey
through the introduction and as you said, being recruited into
that spot fixing ring. And you know, it's all about
(03:01):
the integrity of sport, which where you know which you know,
you and I are sitting at home. What a game
of robio, a game of soccer, or a game of cricket.
We want to we want to see it being played
at one hundred percent. You know it's not only as
a fan, but you know, the sponsors that are involved,
and also for our children to continue on the sporting
(03:22):
legacy of all the codes and get them playing and
keep keep getting them active and getting them outdoors playing sports.
So the integrity is a massive part of protecting the game.
And I think you know, I, along with most of
your listeners, I'm sure we've all had a text message
or an email from scammers around the world constantly trying
to you know, breach you know, you know, a trustworthy
(03:47):
world that we wish we had lived in, but we've
got to be pretty vigilant that Unfortunately, there's there's there's
money and humans. There's going to be greed and potential corruption.
So my biggest, you know, my biggest asset I bring
to the table for these sports and gathering bodies is
(04:08):
you know, first hand experience about how it happened and
how I got recruited and who was involved, and share
these stories so the organization can be aware of potential
sort of risks to the to the sport.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
How how high loe do you think that risk to
the integrity of sport is? You know, like modern day
how high is that is that risk to the integrity
of sport?
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Well, a lot more sports and it's not just you
know the professional sports which is live on TV. We're
seeing you know, club soccer games, you know, club cricket
games all now streamed on the internet. And whenever something's
live and whenever something's streamed online, there's potential bidding sites,
you know, gambling sites around the world that are we'll
(05:00):
have odds on it. And there's also a lot of
illegal betting sites around the world that operate and you know,
I don't know the figures, but it's huge money, huge,
huge money in the black black market. And you know,
I think we're seeing you know, I know here in
New Zealand, where you know, a lot of sporting clubs
are are struggling with not only volunteers, but they're struggling
(05:21):
financially to keep running. So there the vulnerability of clubs
being approached, which which is the true story of it's happening.
You know, these these beddings send the kids are reaching
out to any club at any level, you know, offering sponsorship,
and what comes with that is you know sort of
you know, potential manipulation to the results of games. So
(05:44):
you know, it's not just like before the professional athletes,
just just sometimes your club, your club player can be
approached as well, which was which we're seeing. So it's
quite scary.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Jason, how did you get recruited?
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Well, seven years of having anti corruption meetings with the ICC,
which is all part of you know, playing domestic cricket
in the National cricket every tour you go on sit
there for half an hour and you get told by
a former cop that you know, be careful of this,
and be careful of the bookies and be careful of
the honey traps and stuff. And you know, when when
I got approached in India at the ICL, it was
(06:18):
an unsanctioned tournament, so you know, we didn't have that
sort of protection, but the education was always there and
you know, and a real brief, brief, brief summary of
what happened to me was, you know, the phone rang
was an Indian guy offering a batting sponsorship, which happens
every time you go to India. But because we you know,
sort of turned our back on mainstream cricket and signed
(06:40):
up for this rebel league where we were all free agents.
So we met the Indians other and chatted for you know, jeez,
a good hour or so, and you know, it was
as they do, they make you, They make you feel
pretty good. And a couple of whiskeys later and and
you know, your year, he goes pumped up and you know,
by that stage, I'd come off a bit of a
heavy mental breakdown at the end of my career, and
(07:02):
you know, to have that sort of attention and felt good.
And then when that's when you know, once he thought
he built that trust with me, it was like, well
the business is actually going to be spot fixing and
and he's fifteen thousand cash and handed over to me,
and that's when the penny dropped that this is all
those years of education, this is this is that that situation.
(07:23):
I've been approached by a bookie. And so I managed
to get out of that room as quick as I
could and went straight to my manager and reported it
and she was going to hand it over to the
security at the hotel and sought from there. So that
was the end of that part. But on the way
back down to my room, went past, you know, a
(07:45):
fellow cricketers room, and I said, you wouldn't believe it.
I've told told them the story and I said this
is what happened, and you know and you know, and
then that sort of there was that moment of science
of you've done the right thing, but now you're going
to be working for me, and there I am saying
yes straight away. So when I talk to these governing bodies,
(08:07):
I say, it's it's not so much the people that, yeah,
you don't know you're gonna worried about. It's the people
that you do know that recruit as well. And that's
certainly how it happened to me. And and that's how
it all sort of started, the spot fixing syndicate. I
was recruited into with people I knew and felt safe
and I felt yep, everyone else seems to be doing it,
(08:30):
and you know, this cript's just like a bunch of
correctly playing in the backyard. It just happens to be
on TV. It's unsanctioned and let's let's get a piece
of the pipe because everybody else is so, you know,
in a real brief nut show. That's how it's sort
of evolved for me that world and certainly changed my
life for the worst. And it's it's something I'm unfortunately
(08:52):
I've got to live with for the rest of my life. Yeah,
I've done, you know, years and years of work behind
the scenes to use what I've been through to help
the game and give give respect back to the game,
which I took it away. And you know, the summer
summed up with you know, at the end of it,
you know, applying you know to the ECB to have
(09:16):
the band possibly looked at and without any sort of hesitation,
they said, no, you've, as you said before my introduction,
you've you've you've created the benchmark of what's required of
a players you know, silly enough to be involved to
repair the damage that you've done and the good you're
doing for the game behind the scenes. And then to
(09:36):
Richard Hadley wanting to fly up and present that capt
to me was a real powerful, you know association for
me because that guy, as we know, is just a
complete legend and New Zealand sport. And for them to
align from South with me and present that capt to
me was it was a night I'll never forget. And
for my family to be there and you know, the
Lawyers and Players Association New Zealand Cricket to put that on,
(09:59):
yeah it was. It's awesome, awesome, really really grateful. And yeah,
I'm trying to, yeah, not look in the part too
much and just try and use every bit of negative
negativity and rough experience and bad experience and send it
into a good one. So that's my role in life now.
And I hope that you know, with these supposings that
(10:19):
I go to in these guest speaking engagements, I do.
It's a way of sharing my story in and helping
helping people and helping suporting associations to protect the integrity
of the sport.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
When you were asked a spot fakes, what did you
have to do?
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Well, at the time, it was score, score ten to fifteen,
runs off twenty balls and get out, which was pretty
much just bad normally.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
No suspicion, No suspicion was raised. It was just what
Luvinson does.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Yeah, get paid fifty grand for batting normally, Okay, no
worries obviously not. You know, it's all controlled and it's
all you know, it's not so much about that the
winning and losing of a game. It's about you know,
what's what's bet on and segments of the game and
sessions of the game. So that was certainly my role
as the opening batsman's to score ten to fifteen and
(11:14):
and get out. But the last game, the last game,
I think it's documented somewhere certainly in the in the
court case I was involved with, was you know, when
I was supposed to get out, I accidentally Darreth kind
of look at to miss it, get stumped. And I
still stay to this day, I swear to God that
boy had a big rock on the pitch and it's
spun into the middle of my back and went over
the umpire's head down to Longland who fumbled the catch
(11:36):
over his head for six. So instead of getting out,
I hit a six. So I wasn't very good at
that spot fixing doing my job. How were you paid
well at that particular time? It was all once we
had set up, you know, overseas, it was it was.
(11:57):
It was money owed to us and and and certainly
from the the person that recruited me. You know, he
never he never fulfilled that and that story I told
you about hitting out six off that ball when I
was supposed to get out. Yeah, he made it very
clear that night it was. He was very aggressive to
me and said that I'd cost the business millions that
(12:18):
night and I lost all that money. So you know,
it was, Yeah, it was a double double kick in
the guts by morally doing things wrong and then obviously
not getting anything for it. But you know, we could
talk for hours, and that's what I do, you know,
is obviously that's just a real small snippet of how
the next six thing evolved for me. In a certain
(12:39):
part of it, you know, I did I did get
paid via the course, which which you know, that's that's
more of a chat for at another time. Or attend
one of my sessions and listen to the detailed stories
that I do share, but I don't share those stories
today on the air.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
That's fair enough. Why did you decide to come clean
and admit your involvement?
Speaker 3 (13:05):
A couple of reasons. First myself. You know, when you
look in the mirror and you see this double life
you're living, and you know at the stage I have
two young daughters and you're trying to teach them, you know,
trust and being you know, loyal and have good morals,
and you know, how can you how can you say that?
And when when you went and you know, cricket gave
(13:25):
me everything? You know, yeah, I loved it from you know,
the age of four picking out my first bat and
and right through you know, to playing against Shane Warn
and Steve war and scoring one hundred on debut and
representing my country. You know, it's cricket gave me everything,
gave me a life. You know, I wasn't mentally or
prepared for that professional world, and it showed with my
(13:48):
inconsistencies and certainly you know, the breakdown towards the end.
I wasn't. I wasn't. I didn't have the tools to
be able to deal with that professional world. And it's
it's rather sad because I was clearly good enough and
to not fulfill my potential was frustrating. So being a parent,
look at the mirror myself and obviously you know the
(14:08):
game of cricket itself and what have given me in
and also the people that did get me involved in
the spot fixing and to see them heavily involved with
cricket academies and commentary and other parts cricket was like
hearing stories of them still recruiting. It was like, well,
there's four or five reasons why I need to come forward.
I'd retired. Yeah, there was questions being asked about me,
(14:29):
but you know, to sit down with Heath Mills and say, hey,
can we catch up for coffee and jeez, that coffee
stayed on that table for about eight hours and didn't
touch it while I shared the stories from from day
one right through and you know, you know, I didn't
make any excuses. I've owned it. You know, the consequences
from from coming forward. I had no idea what was
(14:52):
going to happen with bands or court cases or you know,
losing losing respect. And I have lost a lot of
friends in cricket and that's totally expected. You know, you
start life again and you know you realize that, you know,
you you meet a lot of people in that world,
but you know there's only one or two that stick
by you through the tough times. And yeah, it's been
(15:14):
been a real hard road along road since the end
of my career and when I've to today, it's taken,
definitely taken to toll. But I'm certainly grateful for the
people I've attracted to help me through this. And as
I said, because I didn't make any excuses and I've
owned it and I've done my time, I sort of
kind of feel, you know, things are ripening up for
me now. And you know the Black Clash game Duco
(15:37):
put on down and christ Church last year, that was huge.
That was that was a massive nervous occasion for me
to foot back into the arena and I wasn't quite
sure what the response was going to be. But you know,
as an Auckland are walking out on the pitch in
christ Church and having the Cantabs standing clap year. It
was again another powerful moment and in my in my
(15:58):
return into the public. So I'm extremely grateful.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
Yeah, I think it's it's just awesome that you know,
we we have you back. I guess we could say
how tough were the toughest times for you?
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Oh? You know, you understand suicide and you understand possibly
why people do it, and you know, you go to
some pretty dark places when you know you're not you're
not proud of the person that you've become. And it's
funny when you when you're sort of labeled something, all
of a sudden, everyone else thinks you're you know, it's
very quick to throw other labels at you. And and
(16:35):
you know when you're down, people love kicking you down
and keeping you down. And you know, it's like I said,
I'm here today. I've been resilient. You know, every time
I did look in the mirror, there was that moment
of what have I done? I just kept quiet. But no,
I wouldn't. I wouldn't change anything because where I'm at
today with a beautiful wife and a son, my son, Vinnie,
(16:58):
he's eighteen eighteen months old. And you know my daughters
do in a couple of weeks. You know, the right
with my two teenage daughters is a strange as strange unfortunately,
and dealing with alienation as a parent. It was you know,
the cricket stuff was hard, but to go through family
court and to live without your daughters around, it's frustrating.
(17:23):
But like I said, where I am today second chart
to the family, it's simple life and a drama free life.
And you know, stoke to be invited to these events
where we can really share my stories to help associations
and the integrity and sport around the world as.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
You have today. Just while I've got you, I want
to ask about your test debut Australia. Australia at the
whack Are You're twenty three years old. You walk out
to open the batting on the first morning with rigor.
He gets out in the sixth over. After six overs,
you're still on nought. The Matthew Sinclair gets out. You're
nineteen for two. But then it all turns around. You
get one hundred. What stands out most about that day.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Steve all knew my name before, before my before my
first ball. You take guard and you look up and
you see Glen mcgart at the top of the top
of us run up and you can't see any Australians
until you look behind the stumps and there's Gillesians, seven slips,
all clapping their hands, chewing the chewing gum, and Steve
will walks up to me and goes, hey, Lou, everybody
gets it duck in their first game. And I just
(18:28):
remember walking down to Rigor and say, Steve all knows
my name, I'd like to get his autograph.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
It's amazing. But the bowling attack, as you say, mcgrag Allspie,
britt Lee, you know, one hundred and sixty clicks, Shane
Warn but you get a hundred.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Yeah, well, hey listen, it's it's it's a dream, dream
come true. And you know it's obviously I got one hundred,
and everyone else thought, well out of Fluke can get
a hundred, and then four other guys got hundreds that
day as well, so it was pretty easy. I think
that Australians were, hey, who knows, no if I won't
say that, but no, no, it was. It was. It
(19:04):
was an incredible chest match for News Beyond overall, and
we came so close in that last day when Gillespie
gloved it down the eag side forty minutes a day
with Brettlee and McGrath in the hut. We you know,
things could have been different than if the umpire put
stuff this finger up, but no, just just fantastic and
so many great stories. At the MCG last week, my
(19:25):
introduction was to say it was good to be back here.
The last time I was here, I faced the world's
fastest bo one hundred and sixty one point five hilling
is an hour from Sean Tate hit me twice on
the leg and I looked in my pants and I
drew it on with a vivid and I said, look,
I've still got the bruise to prove it. I got.
I've got to smile. I've got to smile out of
the cops. You don't have to get cops giggling. So
(19:45):
it was, it was it's good to share some fun
stories as well as the dark stories. And that's I
think all your listeners can relate to that. You know,
you need bad times to make the good times better.
And you know it grounds us when we are, you know,
sort of at our lowest points in life to reassesst
life and where we want to get to and you
know again that's that's my role in life now is
(20:08):
to help as many people as I can.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Just to wrap this loew And it's been brilliant chatting
to your mate, and you've been so so honest and authentic.
What is your what is your relationship with cricket now? Uh?
Speaker 3 (20:24):
You know, very rarely do I reach out to any players.
You know, I'm grateful for guys I've been McCullum that have,
you know, sort of stood up and had to go through,
you know, the case with me, and he showed support
and he's gone on to some pretty great achievements. Stephen Fleming,
you know Daniel Toy last year. You know, when I
(20:46):
see him, it's it's great. But you know, will I
be a coach commentator? Probably not. I'm you know, I
think I'll just be doing some work behind the scenes.
But I just want to be a good person to
my family and the closest around me, so we'll see.
I'm not forcing anything. I'm just letting it organically play out.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Lo.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
It's been brilliant getting the chance to chat to you mate,
exciting time of head as you as you look forward
to a new arrival into your life as well. And
become a dad for the fourth time again. Mate, I
appreciate you your being so honest and open with us
this afternoon.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
Mate.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
I know our listeners would have got a lot out
of it and would have loved hearing from you again.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Yeah, and like I said this week, we just got
to do everything we can to keep a checking sport
because you know, we just don't want to see, you
see in anyone go through what I've been through and
the sport doesn't need it. So yeah, onwards it upwards.
All the best of you, Loo, Chez Chas and all
the best everybody out there as well.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Thank you for more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine.
Listen live to News Talk zed B weekends from midday
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Popular Podcasts
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.