Cairns approached me thrice for Spot fixing: McCullum

Cairns approached me thrice for Spot fixing: McCullum: Chris Cairns approached Brendon McCullum with a “business proposition” about match-fixing, saying that other players “did not have the balls to do it”, the New Zealand captain has told a court. Following the acceptance of all accusations of spot fixing on Lou Vincent, New Zealand skipper also opened up on Cairns and his well documented deeds.

McCullum had previously regarded Cairns as an inspiration and a hero. He also claimed that the ex Kiwi had a chat with him at a hotel in the first edition of the Indian Premier League, back in 2008. While talking to the Perjury trial, McCullum spoke:

“I was shocked. I sort of thought he may have been joking, but I quickly became aware that he was not joking. He said that everybody is doing it, all the big boys are doing it. Will you take it on? Chris was a hero, I did not feel threatened by his approaches.”

The current New Zealand skipper further revealed that Cairns approached him for spot fixing on multiple occasions.

“Cairns illustrated and guided me on how the whole spot fixing system worked and that it could get us both up to 200,000 dollars each. He also explained how to re-invest the income earned from spot fixing in property in New Zealand”, the swashbuckling opener said.

McCullum, while talking to the court, also told that he had reported to the concerned authorities during the 2011 Cricket World Cup, when spot fixing allegations were made against some of the Kiwi players.

Cairns, who had represented New Zealand in 62 Tests and 215 ODIs, saw his reputation take a beating when the former IPL chairman Lalit Modi accused him of match-fixing while he was playing for the Chandigarh Lions in the now defunct Indian Cricket League in 2008.

Although Cairns brought a libel action against Modi and successfully sued him for 2.14 million dollars, prosecutor Sasha Wass said that there was evidence to prove Cairns had been involved in match-fixing and had lied about it under oath.