Former New Zealand cricketer Daryl Tuffey is seeking legal advice after expressing shock at being linked to a probe into match fixing.

Tuffey and former teammates Chris Cairns and Lou Vincent were named in the media on Thursday as players being investigated by the International Cricket Council.

While Vincent confirmed on Thursday he is co-operating with the ICC anti-corruption and security officials, Tuffey joined Cairns in professing no knowledge of the investigation.

The 35-year-old seam bowler, who is based in Sydney, says he was shocked to learn from friends on Thursday that he is being associated with fixing

“I’m in the dark, the allegations are a shock to me” he told TVNZ.

“Obviously my name has been brought up in some circles somewhere down the line and I need to find out what is going on.”

He didn’t want to comment further until he had gained legal advice, after which he plans to issue a written statement.

Tuffey, who took 187 wickets in an 11-year international career from 2000, is still to decide whether to play for his Sydney first grade club on Saturday.

Former allrounder Cairns, 43, on Thursday denied any knowledge of the investigation.

“No representative of the ICC, New Zealand Cricket or the New Zealand Players’ Association has contacted me in regard to any connection by me to an investigation into alleged fixing,” he said.

“I have no information, and was therefore shocked and dismayed to discover the speculation in today’s media.”

Cairns pointed out that a High Court judge in England in 2012 ruled in his favour in a libel trial against Lalit Modi after the former Indian Premier League commissioner accused him on Twitter of match-fixing.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White says he has been aware of the investigation for some time and knows the identity of the players concerned but won’t name them.

The ICC says no players have been charged with any offence but the investigation is ongoing into “fixing activity” and related matters.