Angry Cairns: 'Sir, I am not a cheat'

Chris Cairns leaves the field after a Black Caps match. Photo / File photo

Chris Cairns has denied offering teammates money to cheat in the Indian Cricket League, on the second day of libel action against the former chairman of the Indian Premier League in the High Court in London.

The former New Zealand cricketer is suing the Lalit Modi, for comments made on social networking website Twitter.

Modi alleged in January 2010 that Cairns was involved in match fixing in the 2008 season of the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), while captain of the Chandigarh Lions.

Cairns' ICL career ended when he was effectively suspended for not declaring an ankle injury, exacerbated by a 1000km charity walk he did in memory of his late sister.

However overnight, Modi's counsel Roger Thwaites QC told the court Cairns' ankle injury was a "cover up" by Cairns and the ICL to mask a match fixing investigation.

Under cross-examination in the High Court in London overnight, Cairns angrily denied he took payments to fix matches, the Guardian reported.

"It was dressed as my name along with others ... I refuted it and we moved on," Cairns said. "My answer is, I am not a cheat. Sir, I am not a cheat."

He denied an accusation he promised teammate Karanveer Singh NZ$25,000 per game to cheat, TVNZ reported.

"I'd never had such a conversation," Cairns told the court.

Thwaites questioned Cairns about two payments totalling 600,000 Emirati Dirham (NZ$197,000) payments to his account made in 2008. The payments were for promotional work Cairns did for India-based diamond trader Vijay Dimon, however Thwaites claimed the payments were suspicious ahead of the ICL season in a country "where match fixing is rife", Cricinfo reported.

"You're deeming it as payment for the ICL. I'm deeming it as the first installment of a future career," Cairns responded.

Thwaites said the lack of a formal contact between Dimon and Cairns aroused further suspicion.

Cairns represented New Zealand in 62 tests, 215 one-day internationals and two Twenty20s. He made his test debut against Australia in 1989 and finished his international career with a Twenty20 match against West Indies in February 2006.