/ 21 June 2000

ALLEGATIONS OF NEW CRONJE TAPES

A LONDON journalist who has been close to the Indian side of the Cronje affair, on Tuesday revealed there are tapes alleged to be of further conversations between Cronje and Hamid “Banjo” Cassim the day after the first one-day international between India and South Africa in Cochin on 9 March, the Cape Argus reports. Journalist Mihir Bose said the Delhi police have yet to translate the tapes because they are talking in Afrikaans. The paper says that should the transcripts be authenticated, it will suggest that Cronje, who claims he was introduced to Sanjiv “Sanjay” Chawla only in February this year, developed a comfortable relationship with him and mentions several Indian players.