Vincent claims Cairns, who is on trial accused of lying under oath about fixing in another court case, instructed him to deliberately underperform in matches in India and England in 2008.

Defence lawyer Orlando Pownall QC put it to Vincent that he knew his own fixing was going to be uncovered so he gave authorities a big name to help him get off the hook.

“You knew that by 2013 your number was up….You thought to yourself, if I can give them a big enough name that will help you. And that name was Chris Cairns,” Pownall told Vincent.

Vincent said he did what he did for the good of the sport and because he was ashamed of himself.

However, Mr Pownall told Vincent he acted for the greater good of himself because it meant he would not go to prison and it would help him sell a book he was planning.

The court heard through Vincent’s statement to the ICC that he had mentioned writing a book about match fixing called Hero to Zero with his wife Susie Vincent.

The defence said the title was a reference to Cairns, but Vincent told the court it was about himself.

Vincent also disputed whether it was a book, telling the jury it was his personal memoirs, which he had written down as part of his psychotherapy, and that now it was gone.

The court heard Vincent had sent New Zealand Cricket Players Association boss Heath Mills a copy of the transcripts, which he later asked him to delete. “I didn’t want something personal being out there,” Vincent told the jury.