New Zealand cricket legend Chris Cairns to fight perjury charges

Former New Zealand cricket allrounder Chris Cairns has confirmed he will face perjury charges brought by the Metropolitan Police in the United Kingdom.

Cairns said in a statement today that he had been notified by the Crown Prosecution Service that it intended to lay charges against him on September 25.

He is also under investigation from the International Cricket Council, but has always maintained he was not involved in spot fixing.

Two years ago, Cairns won a High Court libel case in London against Indian Premier League founder Lalit Modi over a Twitter message in 2010 and a subsequent website report that he had fixed matches in the now-defunct Indian Cricket League.

Cairns said he was "extremely disappointed" charges were being brought.

"However, at least there will now be an opportunity to face my accusers in an open forum, with some rigour and proper process around that, so that I can clear my name once and for all," he said.

"I hope that, through this forum, significant additional information will be flushed out that will help people to better assess the situation, as well as the character and motives of the parties involved."

Cairns said he would continue to co-operate fully with the authorities, and would travel to the United Kingdom to face the charges.

"I wish this wasn't the situation - having been to court before, I know what lies ahead and how gruelling it will be and how tough it is on my family.

"But I have nothing to hide and I will do whatever it takes to once again prove my innocence."

New Zealand Cricket issued a statement acknowledging the British police decision to lay perjury charges.

"These charges, quite different from proceedings conducted by cricket authorities into match-fixing and corruption, will now be tested in a British court of law and be subject to the normal processes of a criminal trial.

"Accordingly, NZC will not make any comment on the matter until such time all proceedings have been concluded."

Earlier this year, Cairns' former Black Caps teammate Lou Vincent was fined and banned from cricket for life by the England and Wales Cricket board after admitting accepting money to fix matches while playing for Sussex in 2011.

Vincent also confessed to fixing as a Lancashire player in 2008.

Vincent, New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum and former captains Stephen Fleming and Daniel Vettori have all alleged an unnamed former international, known only as "Player X", was involved in fixing matches.

Cairns has said he believes he is the person alleged to be "Player X".