Cairns was diabolically involved in blackmailing young players: Modi's lawyer

Melbourne, Mar 15(ANI): Former Kiwi cricket all-rounder Chris Cairns had been part of "a diabolical scheme that involved blackmailing young players", a court has been told.

Modi's lawyer Ronald Thwaites said Cairns had ordered six Chandigarh Lions players to bowl loosely, to bowl no balls, to squander wickets and to bat slowly through a "conspiracy plot" with intermediary Dinesh Mongia to profit from a local bookmaker.

He said that Cairns' bank deposits and former player Gaurav Gupta's testimony that Cairns had allegedly told him to score not more than five runs in a game, worked in his client's favour, stuff.co.nz reports.

He repeatedly described Cairns as an arrogant liar in Cairns' libel case against former Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi in the London High Court.

"We submit (Cairns) is telling lies because he cannot deal with the truth," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Thwaites, as saying.

Cairns, 41, has sued Modi for his tweet in January 2010, referring the former's "record in match fixing".

Cairns, who withdrew from the tournament, has denied the allegations against him, and added that he had to withdraw from the Chandigarh Lions team due to an undisclosed ankle injury.

Thwaites also said that Cairns was paid in advance for his corruption, receiving 100,000 pounds payment in August and September 2008.

Cairns claimed that he was paid cash into his Dubai bank account for his marketing role in a rough diamond trading company, for which he has been unable to provide documentation.

The trial continues. (ANI)