NZ cricket captain makes claims of match fixing syndicate
Stephen Fleming says syndicate approached him in 1999
Tuesday 9th November 2004
New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming is starting to create a stir with claims that he was offered money to join a match-fixing syndicate. The claims are contained in a book the sportsman is releasing this week, in which he records both the amount offered and the name of the bookmaker who approached him.
Fleming has stated that he was offered £300,000 whilst playing in the 1999 World Cup held in England, to join a global syndicate which was concerned with fixing cricket matches for the benefit of those involved. According to the book, Fleming reported the offer to both the team manager at the time and Scotland Yard.
He has named the bookmaker within the book, and stated that whilst making the offer he had boasted of his ability to affect the outcome of matches in a variety of sports. Whilst Fleming has defended his own actions whilst reporting on the event, his claims are likely to have reverberations both in the press and for the bookmaker he has named. So far the bookmaker has responded denying the claims, and it is known that the police given the information in 1999, followed up on the information with an investigation, including flying out to New Zealand in 2000 to further question Fleming.
