"He said [he would] never [be] involved in cricket and that might be his decision, but as I said to someone this morning, I'm an older guy and I never say never," Mr Heal said.
"But today's not the day to have those conversations."
Asked if it would be wise or possible for Cairns to have any future involvement with NZC after his reputation was apparently "scorched" by the case, Mr Heal said again that it was not the day to answer that.
"What he wants to do on the field, and what we want to do, I think we need to work through that.
"Whilst he says it's scorched -- his reputation is scorched, he's not scorched as a past great player."
Mr Heal said NZC needed to take its time in considering all of the options.
He said its main responsibility today was ensuring Brendon McCullum was not attacked for his involvement in the Cairns case and to protect him if he was.
"Brendon is an employee of ours, so we've got a duty of care around him that makes sure he's in a safe working environment and free of harassment and all that humiliation stuff.
"I hope it doesn't come to that, but of course we will support Brendon. As I say, he's our current captain and an employee of New Zealand Cricket.
"We need him on the park leading our side and doing what he does best."
Mr Heal said he felt "empty" following the Cairns verdict and that the overwhelming emotion today for NZC and all those involved was one of relief.
"This has been a particularly unpleasant and very difficult episode right through and I've been saying before any verdict, irrespective of the verdict, there's simply no winners in this whole situation. No matter what happened, or happens.
"And I think Chris indicated that this morning when he spoke."
Mr Heal said he cannot predict what is going to happen now in terms of other cases.
"What I can say, and have been saying, is that, with my NZC chair hat permanently on, is that we're working really hard with the players' association to ensure our training and our education for our current players is comprehensive and I'm convinced that it is."
He said the current players were well aware of their obligations in the anti-corruption area, "which I'm not sure we can say with confidence and hindsight that that was the case in the mid 2000s".
Mr Heal said because this was a perjury trial, everyone needed to be comfortable that people affiliated with NZC and affiliated with the game internationally had come forward.
"And I think it's really important that we understand they came forward for the right reasons.
"I think with Brendon, he said -- didn't he -- in the trial that he delayed his report on the basis that he was reluctant to incriminate a friend. And I think what was happening in 2008 and now, today -- it is a different environment.
"And I think the thing that I've learnt rather sort of naively, or to get a bit of hindsight through this whole thing, is there's no doubt that nobody, no sport, no country is immune from this sort of behaviour."
Mr Heal said NZC would be naive to think New Zealand was an exception and so therefore needed to be extra vigilant.
He said it was also vital to understand and support that people have the right to bear witness.
"If we don't do that, then I would worry that people won't come forward in the future and that would concern me given the effort we've put into the code and the training of people. That's the ongoing story here."
In a statement this morning, NZC said it acknowledged the decision of the jury.
"NZC would remind media that this decision pertains to a criminal charge brought by British police, as opposed to a match-fixing investigation conducted by a cricketing body," the statement said.
"As such NZC is restricted in its ability to comment, particularly in regard to the verdict -- which it accepts and respects."
It said it would study the judgment more closely when full details become available.
[NZME-NZG-NZC]
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