The fall of a South African idol … A beginner’s guide to the Hansie Cronje saga. Reports by Ivor Powell, Jaspreet Kindra, Neil Manthorp, Gavin Foster and Nawaal Deane
When the dust clears on the fallout of the Hansie Cronje match- fixing bombshell, not only the credibility of the South African game, but the entire cricketing world will have been affected – and international cricket may never be the same again.
For the disgraced South African captain, he achieved the dubious distinction of being the first cricketer in history to have a charge laid against him by police for incidents involving the game.
But that is just the start. With the announcement that the International Cricket Council would be launching its own investigations into allegations of match- fixing in addition to a South African commission of inquiry, the stakes have been raised, and it is increasingly unlikely that worldwide cricketing authorities will any longer be able to keep the lid on a scandal that insiders have long known about, but have never been forced to address.
The Mail & Guardian has learned that AC Muthaiah, head of the Indian cricket board, was in contact this week with Indian Joint Commissioner of Police KK Paul. Muthaiah was seeking details of Indian players who were also mentioned on the tapes that Delhi police made of Cronje’s conversations with London-based bookmaker Sanjeev Chawla on the South Africans’ recent tour of India.
Delhi police are reportedly in possession of evidence that Chawla also mentioned the name of a star Indian middle-order batsman in connection with bet-fixing. According to the Delhi-based Pioneer newspaper, Chawla mentioned the name of the batsman twice in the course of conversations secretly taped by the Delhi police. The name of the batsman remains unknown as Indian authorities struggle to control the potential damage to their own cricketing scene.
But this week the former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Inderjit Bindra, broke ranks, revealing that three Indian Test players had been repeatedly reported to the BCCI between 1996 and 2000. Bindra also said two tour managers and one coach had also mentioned in their post-tour reports that certain players had been involved in illegal activities around betting and bookmaking. No action was taken however, Bindra concludes, beyond moving to cover up the scandal.
Meanwhile, closer to home, the mysterious middleman in the alleged Cronje deal has been identified as Fordsburg sweet shop owner Hamid “Banjo” Cassim. Cassim is alleged to have been the man who initially approached Cronje with an offer to assist bookies in connection with the recent triangular series between South Africa, England and Zimbabwe, and could be connected to wider networks involving officials and bookies throughout the cricketing world. A letter to the United Cricket Board (UCB) from Cassim’s lawyers suggests Cassim could be prepared to spill the beans.
Cassim’s lawyer, Itzie Blumberg, says: “I want to place it on record that my client is prepared to offer his full assistance to the authorities in regard to the inquiry or any other authorities that will be investigating the matter.”
Cassim also has connections with a number of players from the subcontinent who have been seen at his sweet shop during recent tours.
It also became clear this week that match-fixing was nothing new in the South African version of the game. This week the UCB told journalists that investigations had been extended into allegations of match-fixing in the final Test between South Africa and England in mid January this year at Centurion.
Cronje is alleged to have taken between R35E000 and R50E000 for agreeing to forfeit an innings in that rain-sodden fifth Test so a result could be secured. English captain Nasser Hussain likewise agreed to the forfeit of an innings, but has not been linked to a fix.
One member of the South African squad – who was on tour in India but did not play at Centurion – said he was stunned by the news that “irregularities” had taken place on the subcontinent. “I can’t believe it. I never knew anything or noticed anything suspicious,” he said before adding: “I knew about Centurion but I didn’t know anything about India.”
Several sources close to the team repeatedly suggested that the unhappiness among all the other players over the Centurion decision (Cronje did not have a single supporter for his decision among his team-mates) was not based purely on the likelihood of a Test defeat.
“Most of us heard rumours of bookmakers and payments. Most couldn’t believe it but the stories just didn’t go away,” said the player.
Cronje has admitted only to accepting between $10 000 and $15E000 from a local man, seemingly Cassim, with links to a London-based bookmaker, apparently Chawlra.
According to Cronje, the money was paid for “providing detailed information and forecasting”, and not for deliberately trying to influence the outcome of any match.
Cronje’s confession relates to his dealings with bookmakers during the home triangular tournament between South Africa, Zimbabwe and England in January and February this year, but the accusations levelled by the Indian police involve a telephone conversation they claim to have recorded by accident when Cronje borrowed the cellular phone of a man they were monitoring in Delhi, when Cronje was on tour there. The charges they have laid relate to match- fixing and not just the supply of information to bookmakers. Investigators also claim to be able to prove that he was given money by bookmakers in London.
Bookmakers contacted by the M&G said that betting on the current Australia/South Africa one-day series had been adversely affected by the revelations, with numerous punters demanding to withdraw their bets in the light of the revelations.
Despite his public image as a national hero and Mr Clean, all has not been well between Cronje and the cricketing authorities for many months now. In February last year Cronje stalked out of a meeting with UCBmanaging director Dr Ali Bacher after a disagreement over selection policy – Cronje disagreed with government interference and racial quotas.
After talking of resigning his captaincy, Cronje made peace with Bacher, but things came to a head in August when chief selector Rushdie Magiet announced that Cronje’s captaincy was on the line, and would be reassessed midway through the summer tour by England.
Cronje retaliated by entering into secret negotiations with English county Glamorgan to coach their side. If Cronje took up the position he would be unavailable for the South African tour of Sri Lanka this year. Bacher called a meeting and a truce was called in October – the Glamorgan contract was cancelled and Cronje was assured that he had a future in South African cricket.
Also this week, South African star all- rounder Lance Klusener was named by the Dubai-based Gulf News as having blown the whistle on Cronje’s alleged match-fixing. Klusener’s approach to the Delhi police reportedly followed repeated, but consistently unsuccessful, efforts initiated by London-based Indian bookie Sanjeev Chawla to bring him in on the scam.
According to Gulf News, quoting Delhi police sources, tensions between Cronje and Klusener prior to Klusener’s approaching the police rose to the point where the two had a public tiff in the lobby of their Delhi hotel. The incident is apparently recorded in the police investigation report.
Klusener has denied having tipped off the police.
Whatever the truth or otherwise of the allegation, Klusener’s dissatisfaction with the way that cricket is being run is well known. Asked recently by a fellow team member why he seemed so unhappy, he gave words to the feeling of many thousands of South African fans: “The fun’s gone out of the game … What’s the … point anymore?”