Cairns pleads not guilty to perjury charge

Chris Cairns has submitted a plea of not guilty at a hearing at the Old Bailey ahead of his perjury trial. The former New Zealand allrounder had previously indicated his intention to fight the charge against him, which relates to his 2012 libel case against Lalit Modi.

Andrew Fitch-Holland, a barrister who appeared as a witness for Cairns during those High Court proceedings, also pleaded not guilty to a charge of perverting the course of justice. Their trial date was set for October 5 at Southwark Crown Court.

When the case came before Westminster Magistrates' Court in October it was alleged that Cairns had wilfully made a statement in the legal proceedings against Modi "which you knew to be false or did not believe to be true namely that you never, ever cheated at cricket and nor would you contemplate doing such a thing".

Fitch-Holland is accused of asking Lou Vincent, the former New Zealand batsman banned for life earlier this year after admitting his involvement in fixing, to provide a false witness statement in support of Cairns.

Cairns has always maintained his innocence of the charge and denied any involvement in match-fixing. When the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed he was to be put on trial, he said: "I'm obviously extremely disappointed, however, at least there will now be an opportunity to face my accusers in an open forum, with some rigour and proper process around that, so that I can clear my name once and for all."

In March 2012, Cairns was awarded £90,000 in damages after a High Court judge found that Modi, the former IPL chairman, had libelled him over Twitter when making allegations about fixing in the rebel Indian Cricket League.