Chris Cairns the former New Zealand allrounder, has been formally charged with perjury. Cairns attended a North London police station on Thursday to hear the charge, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.

Andrew Fitch-Holland, a London barrister, from Saffron Walden in Essex, who gave evidence in the libel case against Lalit Modi from which the charge emanates, has also been charged with one count of perverting the course of justice.

Cairns, who flew from New Zealand to receive the charge, is scheduled to appear before Westminster Magistrates on October 2 for an initial hearing at which he will enter a plea. The full hearing, which will be heard in the Courts of Justice in London, is not expected to be heard until at least May 2015.

Cairns will be able to return to New Zealand on the undertaking that he returns to the UK for the full hearing next year. He will also be eligible for legal aid.

In a separate development, lawyers representing Modi have begun civil proceedings against Cairns to recover £90,000 paid in damages and costs following the libel case in 2012.

A previous statement from the Crown Prosecution Service statement said: "We can confirm that we have authorised police to charge Chris Cairns with one count of perjury, which arises from a libel trial held in the UK in March 2012.

"We have also authorised police to charge Andrew Fitch-Holland with one count of perverting the course of justice, which arises from actions taken relating to the same trial. Both suspects will be formally charged by police in due course."

Metropolitan Police stated that a 33-year-old woman and 36-year-old man also arrested as part of the investigation have now been released and that no further action will be taken.

(Cricinfo)