Enduring friends have surged to the defence of embattled former cricketer Lou Vincent as he faces excommunication from the sport and an ongoing battle with depression.
Despite Vincent's admissions of cheating through spot-fixing and sabotaging team efforts worldwide, a loyal group are standing by him.
In their eyes, Vincent's zest for life, selfless demeanour and painful vulnerability in the search for meaningful relationships trump his foolish, get-rich-quick actions.
Vincent took easy options and defrauded fans to compensate for what he considered paltry remuneration. He's now suffering the consequences through International Cricket Council and Scotland Yard investigations but, in an unusual way, the process could end up being cathartic because he has acknowledged his cricketing sins.
The 35-year-old has explored some dark places, areas to which former New Zealand team-mate Andre Adams hopes his long-time friend will never return.
"Where he's been is a horrible place and a major contributing factor in his depression," Adams says.
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