The record he boasts of can put a marathon walker to shame, though the game he plays has little to do with the athletic event.
In August this year, Chris Cairns — the former New Zealand all-rounder, who is now the skipper-cum-coach of the Chandigarh Lions — walked 1001 km from Pukekohe to Taihape in New Zealand to raise funds for his foundation, the Chris Cairns Foundation.
The trust's aim is to caution people of the dangers while approaching level crossings on New Zealand's rail network. The foundation — initiated in 2006 in memory of his sister Louise, who died in a train accident — also tries to help the victims of railway accidents.
Cairns's walk ensured the foundation was richer by NZ $23,459.
Speaking to Hindustan Times about the gruelling walk, the all-rounder said, "That was fun, but at the end of it, my feet were sore.
"I along with some of my family members and friends walked some 30 km every day for 35 days covering various towns and cities from Pukekohe in the North Island to Taihape in the South," added Cairns.
If you happen to visit the foundation's website www.chriscairns.co.nz, you would see some familiar faces, with the most prominent being that of New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori, who is also playing in the Indian Premier League.
"Yes, Daniel is a good friend and he was there to support my cause," said the cricketer, who is considering setting up a foundation in India as well.
{{/usCountry}}"Yes, Daniel is a good friend and he was there to support my cause," said the cricketer, who is considering setting up a foundation in India as well.
{{/usCountry}}Back on the ICL front, Cairns, who was disappointed with the performance of his team in the last tournament, said, "This time around, I have ensured that the boys come good. I am confident of a semi-final berth."
Apparently, Chandigarh Lions, who had reached the final of the first tournament in Panchkula, came a cropper in the second and Cairns felt that his boys — especially Tejinder Pal Singh, Love Ablish and wicketkeeper batsman Sarabjeet Singh — were not utilised effectively.
This year, though, he wants to put their services to optimum use, as he is now the coach of the team as well. As for Balwinder Sandhu, the coach last season, he has been transferred to Dhaka Warriors.