Erase records of fixers, says Hadlee

Legendary New Zealand cricketer Richard Hadlee believes that players who were involved in making illegal money have let the supporters and fans down and "that's why the penalty must be very severe."

Hadlee said that players who are involved in fixing should not only be banned but their records should also be erased to serve as a deterrent against this menace.

"People have to be made examples of and clearly banned, even take it a step further, even have your records erased for life in the game, I think that is the most severe penalty that can happen even more than going to jail is to have your record erased from the game, if it needs to go to that stage then players are going to think twice before they," Hadlee added.

Any such decision, Hadlee said, lies with the administrators who should consider other options to deal with fixers.

Asked about the controversial Decision Review System, the Kiwi all-rounder said that he was not in favour of technology as it questions on-field umpires' decision.

"My personal view is that I don't particularly like the captains or players questioning or reviewing the decisions ... What I would like is that all the decisions should remain in the hands of the umpires," he said.

"If the umpires in the middle have made a not out decision say when it's in fact out, the power should go the third umpire; he should say 'hang on a minute, let me look at it' while the bowler is going back to his mark and if there is a genuine mistake is made, the third umpire can review it," said Hadlee, who took 431 wickets in 86 Tests.

Hadlee further said the third umpire's decision would take players out of the decision-making process "and all they have to do is to just get on with the game."

He expressed concern about the decline of his national team in the Tests, who are currently ranked ninth in the ICC table and attributed it to playing less number of matches.

"That doesn't sit comfortably with me because I am a traditionalist in many ways," he said.

The former Kiwi fast bowler believes that Test cricket was ultimate as it's the foundation on which the game of cricket was based historically.

"But what doesn't help us is when we travel overseas to play Test series, we invariably get a one-off Test match or two-match Test series and when we play in New Zealand we can generally schedule three test matches although India wants to play just two this time and that's disappointing," he said.

"Because originally it was a three-match series and India want to cut the tour back but that's another point. Unless we get more Test cricket in home and away, particularly away, we are not going to get any better.

"Particularly the specialist Test players who want to play Tests but are denied that opportunity. It's all right for other cricketers who are playing all forms of game but a few specialist players don't get enough. It appears our value to other countries is not significant enough to keep us long enough in their country to make decent money. I think there should be some commitment to honour future tour programmes," he said.

Hadlee, however, thought the Kiwis perform well in ODIs and T20 cricket.

"We win some games, we tend to make semi-finals of tournaments but you know its becoming something of mind thing perhaps that we get to semis but we can't make to final and go on to win a major," he said.

"The fact that we are the co-hosts of 2015 World Cup and we are sharing equally all the games, which is an enormous thing for New Zealand cricket to have the same number of games as Australia, our provinces will host three of those games will be pretty good. In 1992, when we hosted, we gave Pakistan a good run for money; so I think good things can happen in 2015 in New Zealand," he added.

Image: Richard Hadlee

Photograph: Hannah Johnston/Getty Images