Lou Vincent's life ban revised, allowing him to return to domestic cricket

Lou Vincent’s life ban revised, allowing him to return to domestic cricket،

Nagraj Gollapudi, Editor-in-Chief, ESPNcricinfo
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December 8, 2023, 1:48 p.m.

Former New Zealand batter Lou Vincent can resume his involvement in domestic cricket or at any lower level with immediate effect, after the ECB reviewed the lifetime ban imposed on him in 2014 for corruption.

In a media statement on Friday, the ECB's Cricket Disciplinary Commission (CDC) said it was revoking the lifetime ban after receiving “compelling evidence from Vincent demonstrating the highest levels of contrition and remorse and best efforts to make amends wherever possible.”

The CDC's decision follows a call for “clemency” launched by Vincent. In 2014, the ECB had imposed a lifetime ban on Vincent, banning him from playing cricket at any level, entering a cricket field or coaching the game in a professional capacity after he admitted in a letter openly that he was a “cheater”. Vincent had been handed 11 life bans relating to events during his time at Sussex in 2008 and seven offenses committed during the 2011 Champions League Twenty20.

Gerard Elias, representing the CDC, said he had heard not only from Vincent before his decision to review the ban, but also from the ICC, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and the ECB. Elias said “compelling and compelling” reasons were needed for the lifetime ban to be downgraded, which Vincent provided. “In particular, this decision was taken in light of Mr. Vincent's conduct following his sanction,” Elias said, “namely: full and frank confessions and fullest disclosures; immediate and full cooperation with cricket and civil authorities in various parts of the country.”

In his first reaction to the easing of the lifetime ban, Vincent, who is now 45, said he was “very lucky” to be able to return to cricket. “I made a terrible mistake many years ago, which I will deeply regret for the rest of my life, and I remain truly sorry for the harm I have caused,” Vincent said in a statement released by NZC . “Being able to return to the cricket environment means everything to me and I feel very lucky to have this opportunity again.”

In the years since his ban, Vincent, who last played for New Zealand in 2007, began a new life as a builder in the small town of Raglan, a surfing destination in the Waikato region in New Zealand. Now one of the things Vincent said he would look forward to was attending cricket matches with his family, something he was banned from during the lifetime ban.

Vincent thanked the NZC and the New Zealand Players Association (NZPA), as well as his lawyer Chris Morris, for their support and paving the way for his return. NZPA CEO Heath Mills said Vincent had played an important role in educating players across all sports about the harms of match-fixing, which the CDC had recognized. “The penalties were particularly hard on Lou and he showed a lot of humility in recognizing his mistakes and working to make amends,” Mills said. “I am pleased that the authorities have recognized his contribution to the fight against match-fixing as well as his continued efforts to raise awareness about the fight against corruption among players and administrators around the world.”

NZC CEO Scott Weenink said although Vincent had “made a mistake… he has given a lot to the game, including helping to spread the anti-corruption message over the last decade, and he is good and fair so he can get more involved.”