New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum reported that teammate Chris Cairns had approached him about match fixing during the Indian Cricket League in 2008.
In what became one of the most significant anti-corruption reports in cricket history, Brendon McCullum informed New Zealand Cricket that Chris Cairns had approached him about match fixing during the Indian Cricket League (ICL) in 2008. McCullum's report was filed shortly after the approach and was kept confidential for several years.
McCullum stated that Cairns, one of New Zealand's greatest all-rounders, had tried to recruit him into a fixing arrangement during the ICL. McCullum refused and reported the approach. His testimony later became a key piece of evidence in the legal proceedings surrounding Cairns, including the perjury trial at Southwark Crown Court in 2015.
Testifying in the Cairns perjury trial was one of the most difficult experiences of McCullum's career. He was effectively accusing a former teammate and national hero of corruption. McCullum was emotional on the witness stand and faced aggressive cross-examination. Despite the pressure, he maintained his account.
McCullum's actions were widely praised and he became the poster child for the ICC's anti-corruption reporting system. His willingness to report a senior teammate and then testify in court demonstrated the kind of courage the system required to function. It showed that even the most uncomfortable reports needed to be made.
McCullum's report was a key piece of evidence. Cairns was ultimately acquitted of perjury, but McCullum was praised for his courage.
Cricket Canada
12 May 2026
ICC suspended six months of funding to Cricket Canada over governance failures and financial misreporting — 63% of their total revenue.
Multiple franchises
8 May 2026
The IPL's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) submitted a formal report to the BCCI in May 2026 flagging "certain anomalies" observed across the league stage: unauthorised persons had been seen in the team dugout, on the team bus, and at team hotels during IPL matches in apparent breach of anti-corruption Standard Operating Procedures. IPL chairman Arun Dhumal confirmed the report publicly and warned that "very stringent action" would be taken if violations continued. Separately, the BCCI tightened protocols after reports that certain franchise owners had been seen mingling with players in restricted areas — a specific interaction prohibited under the anti-corruption framework.
Various county sides
1865-08-01
Despite MCC's attempts to reduce gambling on cricket through the 1840s and 1850s, county cricket in the 1860s still operated in a culture where betting was widespread and where allegations of arranged results circulated freely among those closest to the game. Several county fixtures of the decade generated suspicion among contemporaries that the outcome had been agreed in advance, though the absence of formal investigation meant that no players were ever charged.