Police accuse South African cricketers of match fixing

Police accused South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje and three other players of fixing matches in India in return for huge financial favours, United News of India news agency said.

Last month, South Africa lost the five-match one-day series against India after winning two five-day tests.

Pradeep Srivastava, a senior police officer, said investigators monitored phone conversations between the South African players and their Indian contacts. "The evidence is very conclusive," he told Star News television network.

Cronje, opener Herschelle Gibbs, left-arm spinner Nicky Boje and pace bowler Pieter Strydom were named as suspects, along with two Indian businessmen.

They have been charged with fraud, criminal conspiracy, deceiving and defrauding paying spectators, said K.K. Paul, the chief of New Delhi's crime branch.Rajesh Kalra, an Indian businessman, has already been arreste.

But a statement from Bronwyn Wilkinson, communications manager at the United Cricket Board of South Africath, said: " The board is certain that no South African cricket player has ever been involved in match fixing.

"UCB managing director Dr Ali Bacher has spoken to South African captain Hansie Cronje, who is adamant that the allegations contained in press reports in India are completely untrue. Cronje is known for his unquestionable integrity and honesty."

Accusations of match fixing have plagued cricket since the early 1990s. The Australian Cricket Board had fined leg-spinner Shane Warne and teammate Mark Waugh for providing pitch and team details to an Indian bookmaker during Australia's tour of Sri Lanka in 1994-95.

Waugh was fined dlrs 6,500 and Warne dlrs 5,200 for accepting dlrs 3,900 dollars and dlrs 3,250 respectively from the bookmaker. Both players admitted to being "stupid and naive" for getting involved with the bookmaker, but denied any involvement in match fixing.

In India, a retired Supreme Court judge probed allegations by all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar that some of the Indian players had indulged in match fixing in early 1990s.

But Judge Y.K. Chandrachud dismissed the allegations against the players when Prabhakar refused to name anyone, claiming he was not in a position to prove the charges in a court.