Former New Zealand cricketer, Chris Cairns, has won his libel case against former Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner, Lalit Modi.
Modi, was instructed to pay Cairns 90,000 pounds in damages and for accusing the 41 year old all-rounder of match-fixing on Twitter.
The former IPL commissioner, had also questioned all of the cricketer’s achievements throughout his international career.
However, according to the UK Press Association, Cairns was not present when the verdict was delivered by Mr Justice Bean.
The judge, stated that Modi had failed to provide any hard evidence that Cairns was involved in match-fixing.
“It is obvious that an allegation that a professional cricketer is a match-fixer goes to the core attributes of his personality and, if true, entirely destroys his reputation for integrity” he said.
The whole incident started in 2007-2008, when Cairns was playing in the Indian Cricket League (ICL), which no longer carries on now, due to the major success of the IPL.
But, during this period, Cairns, was Captain of the Chandigarh Lions, and it was in April, October and November of 2008, that Modi accused him of match-fixing.
During the hearing, Cairns, who was giving evidence to clear his name, said: “The defendant’s allegations have also had a profound effect on my personal and private life. It put a strain on my marriage. It hurts that my wife may think that I am not the man she thought I was.”
In October 2008, Cairns left the Lions, due to an existing ankle injury he had failed to report.
The judge, however, was told that less than a hundred people had read the 25 word tweet by Modi, before it was picked up by cricketing website, ESPNcricinfo.
However, ESPNcricinfo, withdrew the report they had written up about the tweet and apologised to Cairns, while paying him for damages as well.
Cairns, also felt that his name had been tarnished amongst the cricketing community, and said: “It hurts me too that friends, many of whom are former cricketing foes, will question my integrity as a man and a sportsman and that all I achieved in the great game of cricket is dust.”
With Cairns clearing his name and restoring his pride and honour, the cricketing world will be hoping that this is the last they hear of match-fixing in the game of cricket.