Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has revealed before the London court that he was with New Zealand batsman Brendan McCullum when the latter received a phone call from Chris Cairns regarding business proposal linked to match-fixing.
According to Sport24, Ponting and McCullum were together in a hotel in Kolkata during the 2008 edition of Indian Premier League when the New Zealand skipper received the phone call.
Expressing his views about proposition, the 40-year-old asserted that he never talked to McCullum about it as he was not interested.
Meanwhile, agent for McCullum and Cairns, Leanne McGoldrick, also revealed McCullum had said that he had no knowledge of fixing when asked about the same from Cairns.
McGoldrick added that she had also advised McCullum to report the issue.
Earlier, McCullum had told a London jury that Cairns had approached him thrice to get involved in spot fixing, and also claimed that he didn't report the first approach because he considered the former all-rounder as a friend.
Cairns, who had represented New Zealand in 62 Tests and 215 ODIs, saw his reputation take a beating when former Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi accused him of match-fixing while he was playing for the Chandigarh Lions in the now defunct Indian Cricket League in 2008.
While Cairns is charged with perjury and perverting the course of justice, his lead adviser Andrew Fitch-Holland is accused of perverting the course of justice. However, both have denied the charges.
Image: Australia captain Ricky Ponting (left) with New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum (centre) and match referee Roshan Mahanama at the coin toss before a match (Image used for representational purposes).
Photograph: Hamish Blair/Getty Images
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