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Cronje took money: SA board

DURBAN, April 11 (AP) — Cricket captain Hansie Cronje took at least $ 10,000 in a scandal that has rocked South Africa and the world cricket community, a top South African cricket official said today.

“We in cricket are shattered unequivocally,” United Cricket Board of South Africa Managing Director Ali Bacher said.

Bacher said Cronje, perhaps South Africa’s most revered sports hero, had admitted in a pre-dawn phone call to him that his denials of allegations by the Indian police that he had been involved in match-rigging in India “had not been honest.”

During a South African team match in India last month, a local South African and a bookmaker of Indian origin based in London had contacted Cronje, Bacher said.

“Discussions took place and the end result of this ... is that Cronje was given between $ 10,000 and $ 15,000 (about Rs 6.5 lakh),” Bacher told a packed news conference in this coastal city.

“As of today he has not deposited the money. But he did receive that money,” he said.

The cricket board sacked Cronje from tomorrow’s match here against Australia, replacing him with Shaun Pollock, and has suspended his contract without pay pending the outcome of an investigation, said Bacher and UCBSA President Percy Sonn.

Cronje met in Cape Town top government officials, including Ngconde Balfour today and denied he had actually thrown a game for the money.

“The wrong I committed was having these discussions in the first place. That could have led to the wrong impression. I have never thrown a game,” Cronje said in a statement read by Balfour.

As Balfour read the statement to journalists, Cronje sat with his arms folded, looking dejected and remaining mute.

A reporter, citing Bacher’s and Sonn’s comments, asked about the $ 10,000- $ 15,000 payoff. Cronje merely shook his head and did not comment.

Bacher and Sonn said they did not know whether the payoff was linked to South Africa’s match in India last month or another match at home against Zimbabwe in the February tri-series.

Some speculated that Cronje, captain for nearly six years, had thrown a semifinal match against Australia during last year’s World Cup. Australia, who South Africa was to face in Durban in a one-day match tomorrow, went on to win the 1999 title.

Details on what Cronje has admitted to doing were vague. He has not made a public statement since he repeated denials on Sunday night of any wrongdoing.

The charges are based on tapes and transcripts of a telephone conversation in which the police says Cronje discussed payment for himself and others in return for throwing a match in the five-match series that India won 3-2.

The three players who are accused along with Cronje — opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs, left-arm spinner Nicky Boje and batsman Pieter Strydom — have said they are innocent.

AFP adds: Cronje’s version, relayed through Balfour, was: “Earlier this year I was contacted by a South African during the series with England and Zimbabwe which was about three weeks before the tour to India. While I was in India I was again contacted.

“I mentioned names of players, but in fact I never spoke to a single player about throwing a match. I never received any financial rewards... I wish to emphasise that the allegations of match-fixing by myself are devoid of all truth.”

Interpol urged to trace Chawla’s account

NEW DELHI, April 11 (PTI) — Delhi police is requesting Interpol to trace the bank account number of Sanjeev Chawla, prime accused in the sensational match-fixing case, and provide details of transactions made by him in the past two months, official sources said here today.

The sources said the request by the Delhi police being forwarded to Interpol through the CBI soon would seek details of the accounts held by Chawla in London and the transactions made in the past two months.

The police would also ask Interpol to verify whether any of the five South African cricketers — Hanse Cronje, Nicky Boje, Henry Williams, Pieter Strydom and Herschelle Gibbs — allegedly involved in the match-fixing scandal, have any account in London and if yes the transactions made therein, the sources said.

The police would also ask Interpol to obtain voice samples of Cronje, who has denied the charges and London-based NRI Sanjeev Chawla to authenticate the taped conversations between the two allegedly involved in match-fixing scandal.