Former team mate says 'aloof' Vincent easy target for match fixers

Former team-mate Iain O'Brien has said banned former New Zealand batsman Lou Vincent was an easy target for match fixers because of his aloof behaviour and feeling of self-doubt.

The BBC quoted O'Brien, as saying Vincent was aloof and suffered some "dark days" around the team, which made him quite an easy target for bookies.

O'Brien was speaking a day after the International Cricket Council (ICC) endorsed moves by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and others to impose a life ban on Vincent for breaching 18 anti-corruption rules in matches played in 2008 and 2011.

Vincent admitted Tuesday that he was a cheat and had shamed his country, the sport of cricket, besides those who were close to him.

O'Brien, 37, who played Test matches and one-day internationals with Vincent, said people have different reason to get into the sphere of fixing matches, including blackmail and greed, and having a god-like feeling of being able to control a game in progress.

Vincent played in 23 Tests and 102 one-day internationals for New Zealand, scoring 1332 runs at an average of 34.15 and 2,413 runs at an average of 27.11 respectively between 2001-2007.

He also played county cricket in England for Sussex, Lancashire, Northamptonshire and Worcestershire.

Vincent provided evidence to the ICC of fixing 12 matches around the world between 2008 and 2012.