OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Friday 10.25am.
FORMER Proteas skipper Hansie Cronje has been forgiven for his involvement in match-rigging by opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs and sports minister Ngconde Balfour, with United Cricket Board chief Ali Bacher saying that he sympathises with the disgraced cricketer.
Cronje publicly asked both Balfour and Gibbs to forgive him for lying about his involvement in match-rigging and telling Gibbs to be dishonest after he offered him money to play poorly.
Balfour, who sat directly opposite Cronje while he read out his statement at the King Commission said afterwards that he forgives Cronje in the spirit of Christianity.
Gibbs, who was suspended from the Proteas team to tour Sri Lanka after his disclosures, and asked Leslie Sackstein, Cronje’s lawyer, if he could shake his former skipper’s hand.
Meanwhile, UCB chief Dr Ali Bacher said that it would be inhuman for anyone not to feel sympathy with Cronje.
The UCBSA will wait for Judge Edwin King’s findings before it considers any disciplinary action against Cronje. Cronje celebrated his fifth wedding anniversary on April 8, would not comment, but a source close to the Cronje family said that Cronje has relaxed after testifying, and is under “less stress” than in the past few weeks.
Current Proteas skipper Shaun Pollock said that Cronje’s disclosures are the first step to his recovery. Pollock added, however, that the image of cricket has been done great damage over the past two months.
Covener of selectors, Rushdie Magiet said that Cronje’s testimony had produced nothing new, and said that he would not comment further.
Magiet did say however that the past two months has been damaging to South African cricket and said that it will take some time to restore public confidence in the game.
Young players should have been informed about the perils of match-rigging and bookmakers on international tours long ago, he concluded.