IPL chairman Modi sued for libel 25/01/2010 |
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Former New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns has issued a writ against Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi for libel.
Modi recently rejected Cairns's submission to join this year's IPL auction, intimating that the all-rounder had been sacked from the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) because of match fixing.
The writ was issued in London’s High Court on Friday (Jan 22) and Cairns told the Daily Telegraph over the weekend: "I had no alternative but to sue Mr Modi for libel.
"Until he retracts what he has said, my name will always be tainted by the cheat label. Had he really had any concerns about my probity as a sportsman, he could have called me at any time or instructed any of his executives to do the same. He chose not to.
"Instead he chose to make his allegation in public and to repeat it in public. For any doubting Thomases out there, I have never rigged a match."
Cairns was captain of the Chandigarh Lions in the ICL and insists his sacking in 2008 was down to fitness problems. Before that year's tournament, Cairns – whose sister Louise died in a train accident in 1993 – had walked 1,000km for his own foundation, which was set up to increase rail safety awareness in New Zealand.
"I was knackered, my knees were shot," the 39-year-old added. "I couldn't run for a week-and-a-half. I played three games but couldn't bowl. I was nowhere near fit.
"The [libel action] is about me being able to walk comfortably around grounds like Lord's and Trent Bridge. Mr Modi has extinguished that at the moment. I doubt my case against such an important man will cause him to lose much sleep. But for me it is the centre of my universe."
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