Hitting cricket match fixing for 6

In recent years, match-fixing has reared its ugly head as very real threat to sport globally. Cricket, unfortunately, has borne the brunt of a lot of recent media attention over match-fixing and it is timely that, with the Cricket World Cup 2015 ("CWC 2015") recently ending, we acknowledge recent measures taken to reduce the threat of match-fixing in New Zealand.

On 15 December 2014, the New Zealand Government made match-fixing a crime through an amendment to the Crimes Act 1961 ("the Act")1, where anyone found guilty of doing an act or omission made with "...with intent to influence the betting outcome of an activity by manipulating the overall result or any event" could face up to seven years imprisonment - clearly, a very long innings of the unwanted kind.

The Act's amendment forms part of a suite of initiatives the New Zealand Government has introduced to protect the integrity of sport by taking a tougher stance on match-fixing. Sport New Zealand published its Policy on Sports Match-Fixing and Related Corruption ("the Policy") in April 2014. The Policy is designed to provide a strategic framework across Government, the sports sector and the betting industry to prevent match-fixing.

What is match-fixing?

Match-fixing is defined in the Policy as:2

"...improperly influencing the overall result or any part (spot fixing) of the sports match, game, race or event (generically referred to as a 'match') for financial or personal benefit, rather than for tactical sporting reasons".

Match-fixing could include:3

Deliberately underperforming; Disingenuously withdrawing from a match or game; Attempting to influence or influencing a sports official regarding the outcome of a match; A sports official deliberately misapplying the rules of a match; Interference with play, equipment or playing conditions; Abuse of insider information to support a bet or the making of a bet regarding a match. Match-fixing is a significant threat to the integrity, value and growth of New Zealand sport. It is not hard to see how fans, sponsors and players themselves will turn away from a sport if they lose faith that the outcome is fixed and that fair play is not being observed. If there is a perception that a result is pre-determined, sport has little point. And that is just not cricket.

The new crime of match-fixing comes just after cricket's most recent, high profile match-fixing disclosure. Last year, New Zealand's Lou Vincent pleaded guilty to 18 match-fixing or...