The Wireless

Match-fixing strikes a damaging blow

08:38 am on 21 May 2014

There's concern the image of cricket is taking a battering as accusations of match-fixing involving top players swirl around the sport, Radio New Zealand reports.

New Zealand cricket should be on a high after preforming well last summer, beating the West Indies and drawing with India, and the Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum scored New Zealand's first ever test triple-century.

And next summer, New Zealand and Australia co-host the cricket World Cup, an event which will bring all of the world's top cricketers - and tens of thousands of supporters - to this country.

Auckland sports lawyer Kahungunu Barron-Afeaki said a corrupt sport affects the self-esteem of a society and a return to the core values is needed.

He said match fixing is a global problem exploited by organised crime and international sport agencies have not worked out how to deal with it.

The investigation into the match-fixing by the International Cricket Council continues and it's not known when it will be finished.