Former New Zealand captain Chris Cairns has hit back hard at allegations he has been involved in match-fixing, using an impromptu media conference to launch attacks on former NZ teammate Lou Vincent and current Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum.
He also identified a further three of his former teammates – ex-captains Stephen Fleming and Daniel Vettori as well as seam bowler Kyle Mills – as players to whom McCullum reportedly spoke about being allegedly approached by Cairns to engage in corrupt practices.
Cairns arrived back in Auckland today after voluntarily travelling to London where he was interviewed by the Metropolitan Police, as well as representatives of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and International Cricket Council’s (ICC) anti-corruption offices.
He has again emphatically denied any involvement in match fixing and reiterated he has “nothing to hide”, before turning up the heat on his accusers who he criticises for airing “despicable lies”.
He was particularly scathing of Vincent, who has admitted to his involvement in match fixing and is now facing 14 charges from the ECB, and whose testimony to ICC investigators – along with corroborating evidence given by his former wife – was leaked to media outlets earlier this month.
"In 2008 (Vincent) had a lot of problems that he has admitted to,” Cairns told reporters today.
“I endeavoured to become a friend to him in these difficult times.
“He has betrayed the friendship I offered him.
“He now seeks to (portray) himself as a whistle-blower. He is nothing of the sort.
“The truth is he has been caught cheating and seeks to mitigate his sins by blaming others.
“The allegation that he and his ex-wife make against me are despicable lies.”
Cairns also rounded on McCullum, whose confidential testimony in 2011 was also leaked to media outlets in recent weeks, and queried why the current NZ captain had waited almost three years to report to ICC anti-corruption officers an approach allegedly made to him by Cairns in 2008.
Cairns pointed out that McCullum’s allegations had not been referred on to the ICC at the time, nor had they been tendered as evidence during Cairns’ subsequent defamation case against former Indian Premier League chairman, Lalit Modi.
Cairns successfully sued Modi in the London High Court over a defamatory tweet sent in January 2010, in which Modi referred to Cairns' alleged involvement in match-fixing.
Cairns confirmed that the reason he had travelled “more than 40,000 kilometres” to London to speak with the Metropolitan Police related to allegations he had perjured himself during that defamation trial.
“It is beyond doubt that regardless of what certain people have claimed recently in the media, Brendon McCullum waited three years before reporting this alleged approach to an ICC anti-corruption official,” Cairns said
“He alleges that I approached him during the ICL (now defunct Indian Cricket League) tournament in March, 2008.
“It is misleading at the least for a host of people to claim that he reported my alleged corrupt approach within a timely fashion, or that there had been a small delay.
“Mr McCullum first made his allegation to the ICC’s ACSU (Anti-Corruption and Security Unit) on 17th of February 2011.
“Not only was this nearly three years after the alleged approach, but importantly it was 13 months before the trial in March 2012 of my case in the London High Court against Lalit Modi about match fixing.
“At that trial, every allegation that I was match fixing was shown to be false.”
Cairns, reading from a prepared statement at Auckland airport, also took the opportunity to identify players to whom McCullum reportedly spoke about the alleged approach made to him.
“These players are Stephen Fleming, Daniel Vettori, and Kyle Mills, the brother of New Zealand Players Association head, Heath Mills,” Cairns said.
He claimed that while none of the three have made direct accusations against him, two of them have made statements supporting McCullum’s evidence.
A third has claimed his recollection of the incident was “foggy” and was therefore not able to make a statement corroborating McCullum’s testimony.
Cairns pointed out that he was not “arrested or otherwise detained” after speaking with police and cricket’s anti-corruption investigators in London, and that he was not charged with any offence “criminal or otherwise”.
He also said that while the allegations against him date back to 2008, he has yet to be formally interviewed by the ICC and that he was troubled by the length of time as well as the course the investigation into the matter seemed to be taking.
"I repeat that each and every allegation against me that I have cheated in cricket or attempted to induce others to cheat at cricket is false,” he said.
“I find the situation truly absurd, bizarre and scary.
“Whatever happens I hope proper process will be followed and I will be cleared of these allegations.
“I have never match-fixed, sought to have others match-fix or otherwise played the game of cricket in anything other than the spirit it so richly deserves to be played in.”
Cricket Australia
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