'Duty bound' McCullum says will testify against Cairns in trial to 'protect the game'

New Zealand cricket team captain Brendon McCullum has said that he would testify against his former teammate Chris Cairns in a perjury trial in London next year because he feels a duty to protect the game.

McCullum would be among as many as 12 leading cricketers who might be called to give evidence when the trial starts next October.

Cairns won 90,000 pounds in damages in 2012 after he sued Indian Premier League (IPL) founder Lalit Modi over an accusation of match fixing and was later charged with one count of perjury in the case, Sport24 reported.

McCullum revealed that he was disappointed to be further drawn into the case, but he would agree to testify given his obligations as an international cricketer. He said that it is not ideal at all but one has got to protect the game.

Speculations are that McCullum is likely to be questioned about evidence he gave to anti-corruption investigators that was later leaked to British newspapers. In the testimony, McCullum had alleged that Cairns approached him on at least two occasions and encouraged to become involved in match fixing.

McCullum said that he was deeply disappointed the evidence he had given to investigators had become public. He said that the media has almost made him feel like he is the one on trial which doesn't seem quite right.

But, the skipper added that he would still do it again because he knows that's the obligation one has as an international cricketer.

McCullum said that one has to stamp out corruption and that's ultimately led him to making his statement to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the anti-corruption unit.

Cairns is regarded as one of the finest cricketers New Zealand has produced. He followed his father, Lance, into the New Zealand team, and in 62 Tests scored 3,320 runs with five centuries at an average of 33.5 and took 218 wickets at 29.4. He played 215 ODIs, scoring 4,950 runs and taking 201 wickets, the report added.