Cronje was banned for life by the United Cricket Board (UCB) after he admitted to the King Commission in June last year that he had accepted around $130,000 (B141,230) from illegal bookmakers.
He did not attend Wednesday's opening, expected to conclude on Friday. His case is being argued by senior counsel Malcom Wallace.
Senior counsel Wim Trengove, who has previously represented former president Nelson Mandela and the country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, is arguing for the UCB in front of presiding judge, Justice FC Kirk-Cohen.
Cronje is arguing that his ban was imposed unfairly and without a hearing. He also says the ban itself is too extensive and lacks clarity, preventing him from even being involved in sport at school level and barring his access to stadiums.
In his affidavit, Cronje goes on to accuse the UCB of interfering with his personal life and with his attempts to earn a living.
Reports in South Africa have said Cronje has been offered a substantial contract to commentate on and present both domestic and international cricket by the satellite television company Supersport. Cronje argues that UCB president Percy Sonn has publicly put pressure on broadcasters and the print media to prevent them from employing him.
Sonn denies the allegations. He also says he has serious misgivings about Cronje's stated intention of promoting the game in South Africa's disadvantaged communities, considering that two of the cricketers to whom he offered money to under-perform, Herschelle Gibbs and Henry Williams, are both players of colour.
Justice FC Kirk-Cohen told Wallace that technically Cronje had not been dismissed as captain, instead his contract had not been renewed.
Wallace replied: "But that was, in effect, dismissal."
He added that the fact that Cronje had not been given a hearing made his dismissal unlawful under labour laws. Wallace outlined to the court how Cronje had no intention of resuming his playing career, but instead wanted to "build a new life".
He said: "These proceedings are not directed at enabling Cronje to resume his career as an active cricket player or restore the status he enjoyed before.
"These proceedings are to advance Cronje's ability to pick up the pieces and build a new life for him and his family and to make some recompense to the game.
"Cricket is and was the area of his best ability where he made his friends and is his future."
At the beginning of the hearing Justice Kirk-Cohen touched on the incident when Cronje attempted to bribe Gibbs and Williams to under-perform in a one-day international.
"We are not beating about the bush," he said. "This is the most serious incident of the lot."
Former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje opened on Wednesday his campaign to get a life ban overturned in the Pretoria High Court.






