Chris Cairns is seeking damages from Marylebone Cricket Club after the club posted a YouTube video that claimed the New Zealand all-rounder was involved in match-fixing - despite Cairns's acquittal at Southwark Crown Court last November on charges of perjury and perverting the course of justice.
The mistake was made following the MCC's annual Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey lecture earlier this month, after former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum insisted he stood by his claim in court that Cairns had twice approached him in 2008 to fix matches - allegations Cairns denied.
At 10pm of the day of McCullum's speech, part of it was uploaded on to YouTube, with a title that claimed Cairns was involved with match-fixing. It remained online for 11 hours before being removed.
In a statement on their YouTube channel, MCC said: "It is accepted that Mr Cairns was successful in a libel action in 2012, when wrongly accused of match fixing. He was also acquitted by a jury of all charges in 2015, in which it was alleged he had committed perjury at the 2012 trial.
"The MCC apologises to Mr Cairns for wrongly alleging in the video title that he was guilty of match fixing and withdraws the allegation completely."
