A FORMER cricket professional in East Lancashire claims his “mentor”, who also played for a county league club, gave him “direct orders” to fix games.

Ex-Ramsbottom CC pro Lou Vincent insisted he was never going to report Chris Cairns for arranging outcomes while both played for the Chandigarh Lions in India.

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Cairns, who was the Bacup’s club professional in 2006, is on trial accused of perjury at Southwark Crown Court over the match-fixing allegations.

He successfully took out a £1.4 million libel action against Lalit Modi, chairman of the Indian Premier League, who accused him of fiddling games.

Vincent has told the court he was asked to support the libel case by Cairns and his legal counsel, Andrew Fitch-Holland, though he felt uneasy about what he was being asked to do.

He said he recorded a Skype chat 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”.

The court heard Vincent, 36, now retired, accepted he had been “greedy” but was clear in his mind he was never going to report Cairns to the authorities.

“He was a New Zealander. He was a mate. And he was going to look after me,” said Vincent, who insisted he got involved in match-fixing after being dropped by the New Zealand side and experiencing a “meltdown”.

Describing the influence of Cairns, who was in the generation above him in the Kiwis set-up, he added: “He used and abused me.”

Orlando Powell QC, for Cairns, said Vincent’s assertions were “absurd”.

Jurors have been told Vincent, at Cairns’ instigation, had deliberately underperformed in four games in 2008, and it was alleged he would be paid $50,000 (£32,500) per match.

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

He said at the time he “felt good’’ about his role in fixing but now says he is “ashamed’’.

Cairns, from Auckland, and Fitch-Holland, of Burton Road, Manchester, each deny perverting the course of justice.

The trial continues.