Lou Vincent says he was 'never going to report' Chris Cairns as he continues to give evidence

Former New Zealand cricketer Lou Vincent claims he was never going to report his "shrewd" captain Chris Cairns for fixing games because he was his "mentor" and "mate", a court has heard.

Vincent said Cairns convinced him to take part in match-fixing while they were both playing for the Chandigarh Lions in India.

The retired cricketer, 36, said he felt "empowered" that Cairns had placed trust in him.

Giving evidence at Southwark Crown Court in London, where Cairns is on trial for perjury, Vincent said: "I wasn't going to report Chris Cairns because he was my captain, my coach, my mentor."

Vincent, who said he personally had been "greedy", added later that he was "never" going to report Cairns.

"He was a New Zealander," he said, adding: "He was a mate. And he was going to look after me."

Vincent said Cairns was a generation above him on the New Zealand team. "He used and abused me," he said.

He added later: "Chris Cairns was very shrewd and he would never speak about match-fixing on the phone."

Vincent told the court they would turn the volume up on the television in hotel rooms so that people walking past would not hear their discussions.

Asked why he had never recorded conversations with Cairns, Vincent said: "I wish I had because we wouldn't be sitting here today."

The jury was shown clips of cricket matches in which Vincent had played and he was questioned about his performance.

At one point in the exchange between Vincent and Orlando Pownall QC, for the defence, Vincent said: "I strongly disagree with your cricket opinion on that."

Earlier Mr Pownall described part of Vincent's account as "absurd".

He also commented on Vincent's responses to his questions. He said: "'I can't recall' is an expression you use often."

Vincent reflected on his own behaviour, telling the jury: "I'm ashamed of what I did."

He deliberately underperformed in four games in 2008 after Cairns allegedly agreed to pay him $50,000 (£32,500) per match.

On Monday he described Cairns as the "orchestrator and the recruit for fixing at the Lions".

He claims he was not paid the money he had been promised but was "too intimidated" by Cairns to confront him about it.

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 two years earlier.

He brought a libel action against Modi and successfully sued him for £1.4m.

Vincent claims Cairns asked him to "support" him with his civil case against Modi by making a statement that was "a complete lie".

Cairns' co-accused Andrew Fitch-Holland, a barrister and his "lead adviser", allegedly approached Vincent to get him to lie in the libel case.

Vincent recorded a Skype call with Fitch-Holland "because it didn't feel right, to be asked to back up someone in court with a lie didn't sit right with me".

He continued fixing matches after his dealings with Cairns stopped in 2008, the court was told.

Vincent said he was approached by an Indian fixing agent shortly after he began playing for Sussex in 2011.

He said at the time he was "on a high" and "felt good" about his role in fixing. But now he claims he is "completely ashamed and embarrassed and gutted, absolutely gutted".

He confessed to the authorities in 2012 and said: "I had made the decision to do it with the right support from my family."

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

They both deny the charges.

Vincent will return to the witness box on Wednesday after the judge adjourned proceedings early on Tuesday.

Vincent said he was finding it difficult to concentrate and the judge told the jury being in the witness box is "exhausting".

The trial continues.