Cairns vehemently denies all the match-fixing allegations against him

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns repeatedly denied being involved in match-fixing when he was asked a series of questions during his perjury trial at Southwark Crown Court.

Cairns insisted that there was “no truth” in the allegations that he recruited ex-batsman Lou Vincent to be part of his match-fixing scandal.

When asked by his barrister, Orlando Pownall, whether he had taken part in any match-fixing activities, Cairns said: “No”. His answer was the same upon being asked whether he had contemplated getting involved in match-fixing.

The court heard that Cairns had signed a three-year deal to play for the Chandigarh Lions in the Indian Cricket League in 2008, during which he would make US$350,000 per year.

Cairns admitted that he was “very excited” after signing the contract, especially as there had been a “significant drop” in his salary while playing for New Zealand in the years before.

It was during his stint with the Lions that Cairns allegedly approached Vincent and got him involved in match-fixing.

Earlier in the trial, Vincent revealed that he had been approached by an Indian man, who offered him cash and a prostitute to fix matches. After telling Cairns about it, the former all-rounder allegedly said: “You did the right thing…that’s good cover, right, you’re working for me now.”

However, Cairns told Southwark Crown Court that he couldn’t recall Vincent telling him about the approach.

“If he had, we would have been straight off to (ICL administrators) Howard Beer and Tony Greig,” Cairns said.

Cairns, who denied claims that Vincent had “worked for him” also said “no” when Pownall asked him: “Did you at any stage seek to persuade him, successfully or not, to under-perform?”

The trial continues.