'Match-fixing' not mentioned by Brendon McCullum, Chris Cairns case told

Brendon McCullum's statement relating to an approach made to him by Chris Cairns does not mention "match-fixing", a cricket corruption officer has told a court.

The former New Zealand captain made a statement in February 2011 claiming that while at a hotel in Calcutta with Cairns, the cricketer had made him a "business proposition".

While giving evidence, McCullum claimed that during their meeting, Cairns had spoken to him about spot fixing.

However John Rhodes, from the Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) in the International Cricket Council, admitted at London's Southwark Crown that the initial statement McCullum made to him did not mention the term.

He added that the cricketer had a meeting with him in Nagpur, India, with his captain Daniel Vettori.

Giving evidence in court, he added that Vettori did not say anything during this meeting and that he attended to provide support for McCullum.

However, in cross-examination, Orlando Pownall QC, showed Rhodes a statement made by Vettori in February 2014.

In it he said that during the meeting three years earlier he had told Rhodes that he and Cairns had gone on a promotional tour for an Indian toothpaste company after the Champions Trophy in 2011 and he had asked Cairns to buy him a diamond ring with the money he was due for that.

On hearing this, Cairns dropped his head into his hands as he sat in the dock.

Pownall asked Rhodes why his evidence had been that Vettori did not say anything to him when Vettori made a statement in February 2011.

He replied that he did not recall the comment, adding: "What I am saying is that if Mr Vettori is saying to me that he said that to me in Nagpur, then I will accept that."

Jurors heard that Rhodes had not made any notes of this being said, and that he had lost his diary for 2011. He also conceded that he had not made a note of the fact that McCullum had asked that his domestic cricket board not be told he was making a statement.

Pownall then read an excerpt from McCullum's statement relating to the evening in Calcutta when Cairns allegedly made a "business proposition" to his colleague.

It read: "We had general conversation and then after about half an hour he (Cairns) asked me if I knew anything about spread betting.

"I told him that I didn't. I initially thought he was taking the ****."

He added that Cairns then started to explain, using a pen and paper, continuing: "He was telling me you can make a great deal of money. He told me you could make between 80,000 to 250,000 US dollars a day.

"He told me that he had never done it on an international match."

Referring to this statement, Pownall said to Rhodes: "The conversation between Mr McCullum and Mr Cairns concerned betting, not an approach for Mr McCullum to underperform in a particular match. That is right, isn't it?"

The witness replied: "The inference is in the statement. It is clear to me that an approach is being made by Mr Cairns to Mr McCullum."

Pownall clarified: "To fix matches or to underperform?" "Yes," agreed Rhodes.  However, when asked: "Where does it say that?" he replied: "It doesn't."

The former police officer told jurors he did not ask McCullum specifically what he meant, because he was not "in a position to put words" into his mouth.

When Pownall suggested the ACSU had done "nothing" after McCullum gave his statement, Rhodes responded that the Indian Cricket League (ICL) was an unsanctioned tournament over which the ICC had no jurisdiction.

But Pownall said the allegations being made were "potentially momentous".

Rhodes told the court: "The information at that time was not corroborated by any other source. I would need to corroborate it, for it to become momentous."

However, he added that he had "no reason" to believe McCullum had not been telling the truth. He told the court that as a field officer his job was simply to collect the information and that the decision whether or not to investigate was taken by his superiors.

In 2010 Cairns was accused by the chairman of the Indian Premier League, Lalit Modi, on Twitter of match-fixing at the Chandigarh Lions in the Indian Cricket League (ICL) two years earlier.

Cairns brought a libel action against Mr Modi and successfully sued him, winning £90,000 in damages.

Cairns, 45, from Auckland, is charged with perjury and perverting the course of justice, while Andrew Fitch-Holland, from Burton Road, Manchester, is accused of perverting the course of justice.

They both deny the charges.

The court also heard evidence from Sir Ronnie Flanagan, Her Majesty's former chief inspector of constabulary, and current chairman of the Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) at the ICC.

He told jurors it is not the case that "nothing" would have been done after McCullum made his statement, but that the information would have been put into the system which would have recognised any corroborative material.

Sir Ronnie also denied the ACSU had made Cairns a scapegoat in light of the criticism it had faced in the media with regards to how it handled corruption allegations.

Referring to players like McCullum and Andre Adams, Pownall put it to the the witness: "In respect of its (the ACSU's) dealings with the named individuals, corners were cut, normal action was left to one side with a view to achieving the scalp of Chris Cairns."

Sir Ronnie replied, "absolutely not", adding: "If scalp turns out to be an appropriate description, I think it is an absolute tragedy."

The trial continues.