The witness list in the perjury trial of Chris Cairns has been revealed and includes some of the biggest names in cricket.
The trial has begun at London's Southwark Crown Court more than a year after the cricket legend was charged with perjury for a comment he made about cheating.
In one week the 50 witnesses will start rolling through, including Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum and confessed cricket cheat Lou Vincent.
Many others will testify by video link, but the list of legends is long - Daniel Vettori, Ricky Ponting, Shane Bond. Cairns' former captain Stephen Fleming is also a potential witness.
At stake is Cairns' reputation. He's charged with perverting the course of justice and perjury.
British police believe he lied in court during his successful libel case against former Indian cricket boss Lalit Modi in 2012 when Cairns said he "never, ever cheated at cricket", and nor would he "contemplate doing such a thing".
Cairns maintains the statement is true.
He stared straight ahead throughout the hearing, sitting in the dock which is an enclosed glass room towards the rear of the court room.
He only stood and spoke to confirm his details. He was otherwise silent apart from occasionally uttering to his co-accused and close friend Andrew Fitch Holland.
Already the legal teams are anticipating a blowout to what they call a "pessimistic length", pushing the trial out to November 20.
3 News
