by Our Sports Desk

FORMER New Zealand cricketer Lou Vincent admitted he was involved in match-fixing yesterday but claimed he was acting under “direct orders” from captain Chris Cairns.

Vincent told Southwark Crown Court that the man who had been his “role model” convinced him to take part in fixing while they were both playing for the Chandigarh Lions in India.

“I was under direct orders from Chris Cairns to get involved in fixing,” he told the court where Cairns is being tried for perjury.

Vincent said he had a “meltdown” when he was dropped from the New Zealand national team in 2007, telling the jury he started suffering from mental health issues.

He signed to the Lions in 2008.

He said he turned down an offer of cash and a prostitute from an Indian man to get involved in fixing but when he told Cairns what had happened the team captain replied: “You work for me now.”

Cairns allegedly agreed to pay Vincent £32,500 per game to underperform.

Vincent told the jury he deliberately underperformed in four games in 2008.

Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi accused Cairns of match-fixing in 2010, but the Kiwi successfully sued him for £1.4 million.

But he had been involved in match-fixing and lied about it under oath, the court was told.

His co-accused Andrew Fitch-Holland allegedly approached Mr Vincent to get him to lie in the libel case.

Cairns is charged with perjury and perverting the course of justice, while Fitch-Holland, from Manchester, is accused of perverting the course of justice.

They both deny the charges.

Vincent claims Cairns asked him to “support” him with his civil case against Modi by making a statement that was “a complete lie.”

After he said no to Cairns, Fitch-Holland contacted him, Vincent told the court.

He said he recorded a Skype call with Fitch-Holland “because it didn’t feel right … to be asked to back up someone in court with a lie didn’t sit right with me.”

Vincent described Cairns as the “orchestrator and the recruit for fixing at the Lions” and said several other players, including Daryl Tuffey and Dinesh Mongia, were also involved.

He claims he was not paid the money he had been promised but was “too intimidated” by Cairns to confront him about it.

Mr Vincent continued fixing matches after his dealings with Cairns stopped in 2008, the court was told.