Chris Cairns trial: Fear players will avoid speaking out

The head of the New Zealand Cricket Players' Association fears the Cairns' case will make players of all codes think twice before coming forward with allegations of match-fixing.

Association chief executive Heath Mills said he was in no doubt the attack on the integrity of witnesses during the trial would send warning signals to any sportsperson thinking of speaking out.

"This will make people think twice before they come forward with information in the future for not just cricket but sport in general when it comes to fighting match-fixing," said Mr Mills.

He said it had been a nightmare process for both the players and their families in which their personal integrity had been questioned in the witness box.

The game's administrators urgently needed to find a way for people to come forward with confidence and not be made to feel like a victim.

He called for governments and police to take a greater role in the fight against match-fixing.

"I do think the ICC [International Cricket Council] anti-corruption unit has done great work but it's certainly limited in what it can do given it's not a sworn police force working within it," he said.

Radio Sport cricket commentator Bryan Waddle said he was pleased for Cairns but was concerned New Zealand cricket had been tarnished.

"I'm happy for Chris Cairns. It means he doesn't face a term of imprisonment but I wonder if a lot is going to change much in the world of cricket."

He said New Zealand cricket circles should take no pleasure in what had happened.

"It's been a case of some of New Zealand cricket's biggest names against each other and those sorts of things don't go away in a hurry. There is too much evidence that reflected badly on New Zealand and New Zealand cricket in general."

At this stage it was hard to know how much damage had been done to the sport's reputation.

"The sad fact of it is this will not end the issue - it's a sad chapter - but I have this horrible feeling the chapter's going to be written again somewhere else in the future," said Mr Waddle.

Former Black Cap bowler and Radio Sport host Simon Doull said the players and the sport had been "dragged through the mud" during the court case.

"It's not a great reflection on New Zealand cricket in general," said the former international cricketer.

He was concerned the case would divide New Zealand cricket into factions.

Said Doull: "I don't know whether it's going to go away for a long time and whether that means court cases, I don't know, but the stigma will hang around New Zealand cricket and the people involved for quite a long time to come."

The New Zealand team management and players will not comment on the decision.

Several players are still in Australia but are flying home later today. Because the playing squad is split between two countries, there has been no formal team debrief on the situation.

The players will disassemble when they get home but regroup in Dunedin next weekend ahead of the first test against Sri Lanka which starts on Thursday.