Cairns Cleared of Fixing

Chris Cairns has been found not guilty of perjury and cleared of match fixing. The former New Zealand all-rounder had been accused of trying to fix matches by former team mates Lou Vincent and Brenden McCullum, but a jury have found him innocent.

After maintaining his innocence throughout the trial, Cairns spoke of his relief at cleared of the charges and refused to rule out a return to cricket in a coaching capacity. Cairns, 45, was one of the finest all-rounders of his generation and enjoyed an illustrious career with New Zealand. Cairns also enjoyed a successful spell in County Cricket with Nottinghamshire and his big hitting made him a fans favourite.

Although Cairns has been found not guilty, the case has damaged New Zealand cricket. Current All Blacks captain Brenden McCullum was heavily involved in the trial and gave evidence against Cairns. Lou Vincent, who had admitted to match-fixing, also gave evidence against Cairns.

There have been several cases of match-fixing and spot-fixing in cricket in recent years. Salman Butt, Mohammed Ashraful and Danish Kaneria have all been caught up in the scandal and given lengthy bans.

While Kaneria was banned for life, other cricketers found guilty have been given more lenient bans. Mohammed Amir, one of the three Pakistan players to be found guilty of spot-fixing, has spoken of his desire to play international cricket again, while many in the game believe those found guilty of any type of fixing should be banned for life.