Cricket star who was found guilty of match fixing opens up about the devastating effect it had on his relationship with his daughters
The last time Lou Vincent was on the Basin Reserve cricket ground, he scored an unbeaten 224 runs to help New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 38 runs.
That was in 2005. Nine years later, the former cricket star’s career collapsed.
In 2014, the Kiwi batsman was handed 11 life bans from the sport after admitting complicity in 18 breaches of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s anti-corruption rules. The offenses related to T20 matches for Lancashire against Durham in 2008, a match for Sussex against Lancashire in 2011 and a 40-over match for Sussex against Kent in 2011.
In 2023, the former Kiwi cricketer, aged 45, had his ban reviewed on appeal, following a decision by the Cricket Discipline Commission.
“I made a terrible mistake many years ago that I will deeply regret for the rest of my life, and I am still sorry for the damage I caused,” he said last December, and the easing of his ban means now that Vincent can do that. now attend or coach matches at professional domestic level.
Last week he was a guest speaker at a breakfast event at the Basin Reserve when England and New Zealand faced each other in their second Test of the series.
New Zealand cricket star Lou Vincent has opened up about his life after being banned from cricket for match fixing
The former Black Caps star said the most devastating aspect of the ban was that it had ‘alienated’ him from his daughters
Speaking to an audience of 120 people, the Kiwi revealed how he coped with the loss of his cricket career.
He compared his situation to a doctor who was struck off the register after a long career in the profession. He told it The Telegraph: ‘It’s like, “Damn, where am I going to go?”‘ But Vincent isn’t looking for sympathy.
While losing his career, Vincent revealed to the room that his marriage had also failed and that he was heartbreakingly ‘estranged’ from his two daughters.
“Some members of my family have turned against me, which I have had to live with, but I have faith that time heals many wounds,” he told The Telegraph.
“Being estranged from my two daughters will always be the most devastating thing. And I hope that over time, with the little things that I do in public, my girls will see that daddy made mistakes and hopefully they will see me as a good guy and connect with me again.”
Vincent insisted he wanted to return to cricket, adding that he had missed the camaraderie of his former teammates, and said he wanted to give something back to the sport.
“Losing respect in the cricket world is something that has been difficult, but again, we have brought it on ourselves. I will never make an excuse or blame anyone but myself. So we’ll see where it takes me. Today could be a start.”
In the years since his ban was announced, Vincent has worked with the players’ union to educate others on anti-corruption topics.
Vincent said he was not seeking any sympathy when he spoke to an audience at a breakfast event ahead of New Zealand’s match against England
His ban was reviewed last year and the former Kiwi international said he wanted to give something back to the sport
He also revealed that he was abused by some members of the public as he went about his daily life, with some calling him a ‘cheater’ in the middle of the street.
He also revealed that he had been abused by some members of the public during his daily life.
The 45-year-old said he was walking on a road in Auckland when a man verbally abused him and called him a ‘cheater’. He also lifted the lid on an incident that took place at a bar in Lumsden, New Zealand’s South Island. Some of his neighbors had ‘pushed him out of a pub’ after he bought them a drink. They also called him a “cheater” and claimed they didn’t want him living in their neighborhood.
His mental health deteriorated in the years that followed, with Vincent saying: ‘It was like the domino effect of the match fixing, then the family court and my children. It was very touch and go. Even four years ago I thought, “What is the meaning of life?” Constantly being punched and kicked. And then it was like, ‘Hang in there.’
During his career, the 45-year-old scored 1,332 runs in 23 Test matches and batted 2,413 in 102 ODIs for New Zealand.
He had previously been presented with his 100th commemorative ODI cap by Sir Richard Hadlee in 2024, a gesture he said he was grateful for.
‘I can’t imagine ever being properly welcomed back to Sussex. But as long as they know my intentions are in the best interest of the game and if people understand the whole story – not so much sympathy, but understanding – then you never know.”
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