The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Match-fixing episode still haunts the South Africans

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 23, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Match-fixing episode still haunts the South Africans

DURBAN, SEPT. 22. Several South African players, including Herschelle Gibbs and Nicky Boje, may not join the national team during its tour of the sub-continent in November for fear of being arrested and questioned by Indian police about match-fixing.

Gibbs and Boje were implicated with the late Hansie Cronje when the South African team toured India in 2000. Gibbs was suspended for six months.

``We have not yet received any assurances from India that the players will not be arrested by the police,'' South African cricket CEO Gerald Majola said on Wednesday. He said he was busy negotiating with the International Cricket Council and India about the match-fixing affair.

``At this stage, we don't have clarity and we're waiting to hear what's going on. We are worried that any of the players who toured India in 2000 may be questioned by the Indian police when they arrive there.''

Majola said because of the uncertainty, several players would decide to make themselves unavailable and that the Board would not put pressure on them.

``We want guidelines from the Indian police about the questions that could be asked,'' he said.

In addition to Gibbs and Boje, other players who are on the doubtful list are Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis, Lance Klusener and Mark Boucher.

Simons to continue

Meanwhile, South African coach Eric Simons, whose team has not been tasting success for some time now, said he would not resign from his job and was looking forward to continuing with the team during its tour of India in November and while hosting England in December-January.

``I have already spoken to United Cricket Board President Ray Mali and Majola, and will be making a detailed report to the National Cricket Council at the end of the month,'' Simons said in a radio interview on Wednesday after his team returned home on Tuesday. — PTI

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