Chris Cairns trial: Former cricketer denies match-fixing

Chris Cairns denies even contemplating the possibility of fixing matches

Former New Zealand cricket captain Chris Cairns has repeatedly denied allegations that he tried to coerce former teammates into fixing matches.

Giving evidence at his criminal trial in London, he said that there was "no truth" in the claims.

Cairns, 45, is charged with perjury and perverting the course of justice. He denies even contemplating match-fixing.

He is accused of falsely declaring under oath that he had never cheated at cricket during a libel case in 2012.

The case was England's first Twitter libel trial and Cairns won damages of $130,000 (£90,000) by successfully suing Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi over a tweet in January 2010 which accused the cricketer of match-fixing while playing for the Chandigarh Lions in the Indian Cricket League in 2008.

Former Chandigarh Lions cricketer Lou Vincent claims that he was approached by Cairns to fix matches

The prosecution at his trial at Southwark Crown Court in London have argued that Cairns was not telling the truth when he promised in the libel trial that he had never cheated.

On Tuesday, when asked by his barrister, Orlando Pownall, whether at any time he played a role in match-fixing, Cairns replied: "No."

Mr Pownall continued: "Did you contemplate match-fixing?"

Cairns again replied that he had not - and repeatedly insisted that he had never tried to persuade any of his former teammates to fix matches.

Match-fixing approach

The charge of perverting the course of justice against him stems from allegations that Cairns and his former adviser - and now co-defendant - Andrew Fitch-Holland, a barrister, asked a witness to give false evidence.

Both men deny the charges.

Lawyer Andrew Fitch-Holland is also accused of perverting the course of justice

The court heard that Cairns agreed a three-year contract in 2008 to play for and captain the Chandigarh Lions in the Indian Cricket League (ICL), worth $350,000 (£270,000) a year.

The jury was told earlier on in the trial by fellow Lions player Lou Vincent that Cairns had approached him suggesting he deliberately play badly.

Cairns denies making any such suggestion.