/ 16 March 2008

Even in death, Hansie won’t crack hall of fame

Disgraced former cricket captain Hansie Cronje would never be inducted into South Africa’s sporting hall of fame, according to rugby legend Naas Botha.

Botha said that Cronje would not be eligible because of the fact he was banned from cricket for life for match-fixing. Botha made the claims to the Afrikaans Sunday newspaper Sondag.

Over 90 South African sports stars have been inducted into the newly created hall of fame, which will be based at Sebula Golf Estate outside Knysna in the Southern Cape.

But Cronje, who died in a plane crash near the George airport on June 1 2002, will not feature anywhere in the hall of fame.

”The criteria are clear,” Botha told Sondag.

”The bottom line is that whoever is inducted cannot cast any shadow of doubt on his sport whatsoever and cannot have brought the sport into disrepute. So unfortunately Hansie would not be eligible.

”I have nothing against Hansie, but the criteria are clear.”

Botha also said a process had been started to ensure that smaller sports could honour their heroes and the public would be consulted regarding the choice of a number of apartheid-era sportstars. – Sapa