"I've been wracking my brains for months, I've been f**ked over," Chris Cairns said about match-fixing allegations when questioned by Police.

For the first time, the jury has heard the voice of perjury-accused all-rounder Chris Cairns in Southwark Crown Court, with playbacks of his police statements evoking a swear-laden mixture of apparent exasperation, anger and bewilderment.

"I don't want to seem like a whack job," he told police, after a calm start. "I've been racking my brains for months, I've been f**ked over."

He was the victim of conspiracies, he said.

BEN PRUCHNIE/GETTY IMAGES Andrew Fitch-Holland, who faces a perverting the course of justice charge, explained away Skype call with former Black Cap Lou Vincent.

Cairns, 45, was interviewed by police in April 2014 and May 2014, in relation to statements made by Lou Vincent, his ex-wife Elly Riley, and New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, all of whom have now told the court he talked to them about match-fixing.

His recorded reaction varied with each witness. When details of a night out on the town with Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff, Vincent, Riley and his wife Mel, which formed part of Riley's evidence to the court were first put to him, he flared up.

He told police the accusations had cost him work and put him into financial difficulties. He appeared incredulous about what Riley had said, unleashing several swear words.

"Seriously? These are the accusations in regard to this? This is why I can't get money, this is why I can't make a living? This is it?"

In her evidence, Riley had told the jury she had been concerned about Vincent match fixing, so had talked to Cairns about her fears. He had placated her, she told the jury.

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Cairns, 45, is charged with perjury, and both he and and his former legal adviser Andrew Fitch-Holland are on trial for perverting the course of justice.

It is alleged Cairns lied under oath in court in 2012 when he said he'd "never" cheated at cricket, while Fitch-Holland is alleged to have sought a false statement to support the case against Indian businessman Lalit Modi.

Both deny all charges.

With regard to Vincent, Cairns said he was "always up and down, and that was without medication".

As his captain at the Chandigarh Lions in 2008, he had tried to help his troubled opening batsman, who had mental health, drug and alcohol problems, but had other players to look after.

Cairns told police he had asked Vincent to provide a statement to help him in the Modi case, and the batsman had appeared to indicate he would, though seemed to want payment for it.

"He was looking for remuneration for providing something he felt would be helpful to me," Cairns said.

"He never said money, and I never said money, but without a shadow of a doubt we were talking about money."

Vincent has told the court Cairns asked him to underperform with the Chandigarh Lions, scoring 10 to 15 runs off 20 balls.

Knowing how a batsman is going to play gives those in the know the ability to make money betting on brackets of overs, and the match outcome.

Cairns seemed baffled when asked about a 2008 Kolkata hotel meeting in his room with McCullum, at which the New Zealand captain told the court they shared a meal and wine, before Cairns allegedly raised the topic of spread betting.

He could not recall meeting McCullum, he said.

"I may have bumped in to him, there were a lot of the boys (New Zealand cricketers) in and out and around."

Asked if he had told McCullum "everyone was doing it (fixing)?", Cairns responded "Brendon McCullum?"

Asked if he'd told McCullum "not to miss out" on his chance to make money match-fixing, Cairms said "No".

"Brendon is misconstruing a discussion we might have been having."

It would only have been a talk in general terms, he said. "Baz is an inquisitive guy."

Vincent has told the court Cairns introduced him to match fixing when he was his captain at the Chandigarh Lions in the ICL in 2008. Cairns said in his statement that Vincent's evidence was "completely false".

Vincent recorded a Skype conversation he had with Fitch-Holland in March 2011, which the prosecution alleged showed he was trying to get a witness to support a "bogus libel claim" by Cairns against Modi.

Cairns took Modi to court for tweeting in 2010 he had been involved in match-fixing.

In his statement, Fitch-Holland offered an alternative interpretation of the recording.

Fitch-Holland said he was unaware Vincent had "surreptitiously" taped the call, and unaware Vincent was involved in match-fixing.

He was concerned about that and the way "he tried to steer me into some interesting areas."



Cairns had asked him to get witness statements to support his case against Modi, so he had contacted former Black Caps Chris Harris and Vincent.

"This is going to kill me, this is going to destroy me, sort it," Cairns had told his friend and legal adviser.

Rumours around him match-fixing in India at the ICL were labelled "pub talk", by Cairns, Fitch-Holland had told police.

He did not accept the tape indicated he was trying to obtain a false statement from Vincent, that he was aware his client had been match-fixing, and that Cairns owed Vincent US$250,000 for his services to fixing.

Fitch-Holland explained each contention away - saying he knew there was match-fixing in the ICL.

When he said on the Skype interview "we all know some of what is being said is clearly true", he was referring to fixing in the ICL by Indian players.

In the parts of the tape where Vincent talks of not being paid "I have not seen anything for what's happened", that was about the ICL reneging on paying out its contracts to players, not about Cairns owing Vincent money.

"Lou Vincent is up to his neck in match-fixing and he's trying to throw Chris Cairns under the bus ... and I'm collateral damage," he said.

"He is a self-confessed corrupt man and a liar."

Fitch-Holland, who said he'd only listened to the interview once, said he got involved in seeking the statement from Vincent as a friend to Cairns, and his former wife Carin.

He had been close to Carin, but was not fond of Mel Cairns, the cricketer's third wife.

He said he met Mel at a "truly bizarre evening" in London.

"I'm not a big fan of Mel. We tolerate each other, I told him to go back to his wife and kids."

Fitch-Holland told police he was asking Vincent to provide a statement, not to lie.

"Stand up for your mate, that's all I was saying. I wasn't asking him to lie, why would I ask him to lie?

"My state of mind at the time was Lou Vincent and Chris Cairns were innocent."

If it turned out he was wrong about Cairns it "would break my heart".

When he said it was "clearly true" there had been fixing in the ICL, that was correct, he said.

"There's a massive difference between that, and saying Chris was involved."

He was acting as a middle man for Cairns' lawyers, helping by making contact with potential witnesses.

"If you think I'm saying nudge, nudge, wink, wink Chris is well at it, that's just not true."

Vincent was "a corrupt man" out to extort money from Cairns, Fitch-Holland told the court from the sound system.

"He's played an absolute blinder ... all credit to him."