Former Test cricket captain Cairns to be charged with perjury

The former captain will face one count of perjury linked to a libel action he brought in 2012, the CPS said. A spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that we have authorised police to charge Chris Cairns with one count of perjury, which arises from a libel trial held in the UK in March 2012.

“We have also authorised police to charge Andrew Fitch-Holland with one count of perverting the course of justice, which arises from actions taken relating to the same trial. Both suspects will be formally charged by police in due course.”

In 2012 Cairns won £90,000 libel damages after he sued Lalit Modi, ex-chairman of Twenty20 franchise the Indian Premier League (IPL), over an accusation of match-fixing made on Twitter in January 2010.

In 2007 and 2008, Cairns captained the Chandigarh Lions in three competitions in the Indian Cricket League (ICL), which flourished briefly before the ascendancy of the IPL.

The allegation made by Modi related to the second and third of these competitions, between March and April 2008 and October and November that year.

Cairns notched up the rare double of 200 wickets and 3,000 runs in his 62 Tests.