Chris Cairns is cleared of match-fixing perjury after ‘hell’ of nine-week trial
Former New Zealand captain is cleared by a London court of claims he had lied in a libel case three years ago when he said he had never been involved in cheating
Former New Zealand cricket captain Chris Cairns was on Monday cleared of perjury charges over match-fixing after a British trial which he said had been “hell”.
After a nine-week trial, the jury of seven women and five men at Southwark Crown Court in London found Cairns, 45, not guilty of perjury and perverting the course of justice.
In an emotional statement outside court, Cairns said he had been through “hell” and would not be returning to cricket.
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“It has not been a victory as such because in a case like this there are no winners. It’s been hell for everyone involved.”
Asked if he would work in the sport again, he replied: “No, no, no.”
He added: “It’s my choice. I think it would be quite a hard environment to go back into. There has been a lot of damage done and I think that’s unfortunate.”
It has not been a victory as such because in a case like this there are no winners. It’s been hell for everyone involved
The cricketer fought back tears as he described the strain of being away from his family for nearly three months.