ICC 'casual' in gathering fixing evidence: McCullum

Cairns was cleared of any involvement in match-fixing at the end of a nine-week trial in November, 2015.

McCullum, during his 'MCC Spirit of Cricket' lecture yesterday, was scathing in his criticism of the manner in which the game's governing body handled issues of corruption.

"Cairns, my former hero, approached me to fix matches in 2008; once in Kolkata when I was playing in the IPL for the first time, and again during the New Zealand tour of England when we were in Worcester," McCullum stuck to his stand during the speech.

"At the outset, I think it is appropriate, standing here at the 'Home of Cricket', to confirm that I stand by everything said in my statements and the evidence I gave at the Southwark Crown Court," he said.

"In any case, before the New Zealand team's first game in the World Cup of 2011, John Rhodes, a representative of the ICC's anti-corruption unit, addressed us. He told us that if we had been, or were, approached about match-fixing and we did not report it then we were, in the eyes of the ICC, just as guilty as the person who approached us. I had told other people about Cairns' approaches - one of them was my captain and friend, Dan Vettori," McCullum said.

The retired swashbuckler recalled getting surprised at the way his revelations were handled by Rhodes.

"After John Rhodes, completed his address I approached Dan and we went and saw Rhodes, telling him I had something to share with him. Rhodes took us to his hotel room where I detailed the approaches made by Cairns. Rhodes took notes - he did not record our conversation. He said he would get what I said down on paper and that it would probably end up at the bottom of the file with nothing eventuating."

"Looking back on this, I am very surprised by what I perceive to be a very casual approach to gathering evidence. I was reporting two approaches by a former international star of the game. I was not asked to elaborate on anything I said and I signed a statement that was essentially nothing more than a skeleton outline," McCullum was forthright during his speech.