Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns has reportedly challenged his former teammates talking behind his back to 'man up' and go public with allegations that he was involved in cricket match-fixing.
Cairns, who along with former teammates Daryl Tuffey and Lou Vincent, were named as being under investigation by the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU), called a press conference to demand the ICC present some reliable evidence to justify its investigation.
Stuff.co.nz reports that Cairns also took aim at senior figures in New Zealand Cricket for their lack of support, saying that he is aware of the whispers behind his back and challenged them to be 'man enough' to contact the ICC with their allegations if they have enough evidence to back them up.
Criticising the New Zealand Cricket (NZC), Cairns said that he is disappointed by the lack of support from the board, which has members like Martin Snedden, who is a lawyer, adding that it is not fair on the NZC's part to refuse to defend a player, who has given 16 years of his life to this institution over 250 games.
Cairns said that the only person he has spoken to is Tuffey, based in Sydney, since news of the investigation broke, adding that he had tried to make contact with Vincent but had not heard back.
Cairns' summer contract with Sky Television ends at the conclusion of the first Test in Auckland as he was not originally rostered to work during the second test in Wellington, the report added.