Former Kiwi cricketer Chris Cairns found not guilty of perjury

He was accused of lying during a libel action against Indian Premier League founder...

London

: Former New Zealand cricket captain Chris Cairns has been cleared of perjury and perverting the course of justice during a libel action about match-fixing.

The retired cricketer was cleared off all charges at the end of a nine-week trial at London's Southwark Crown Court. Cairns' friend, barrister Andrew Fitch-Holland, was also cleared of perverting the course of justice.

Cairns had been accused of lying when he said he had "never, ever cheated at cricket" while successfully suing former Indian Premier League founder Lalit Modi three years ago. That case followed Modi using Twitter to accuse Cairns of fixing a game in the now defunct Indian Cricket League, a rival Twenty20 competition to the IPL, in 2008.

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