Cronje's fall from grace to disgrace

Durban (South Africa) - There is a picture on the front page of the United Cricket Broad's first official magazine that shows Hansie Cronje in profile and facing Steve Waugh. Launched a week ago, the magazine "Cricket!" is part of the new UCB's marketing strategy with the Challenge Series limited-overs matches against Australia projected as the defining moment of the Millennium Season.

Now the marketing machine has an even tougher job as the man who led South Africa to more success on the field than anyone else, who was seen as the perfect role model for all aspiring youngsters and typified upright New South Africa nationalism has fallen from grace. Whether he has played his last game for South Africa is a question which only the government inquiry into the match-fixing affair is likely to reveal.

He has left the game under a cloud of suspicion as the New Delhi police's probe into match-fixing allegations appears to be confirmed by his suspension by the UCB.

Cronje is know to earn about R25 000 a month as part of his now suspended contract and with endorsements, match-fees and performance bonuses as well as other perks, there seemed no need to dabble in the murky underworld inhabited by the shadowy bookmakers.

It has not just tainted his image but also the ethics which are supposed to make the sport an example of modern chivalry and honesty. Corruption is an ugly a word as you would find in the Engish language and it seems that seduction by the additional wealth is part of that corruption.

Since he took over from Kepler Wessels in the Test series against New Zealand in November 1994, Cronje led South Africa in 45 Tests, winning 22 of them.

His limited overs record is even more impressive winning 99 out of 138 matches at the helm. His 100th victory might have been in the three-match series against Steve Waugh's Australians that starts tomorrow.

Born Wessels Johannes Cronje on September 25, 1969, and given the name, Hansie, which was also that on an honoured uncle, he had a steady rise through the ranks. There was captaincy of South African Universities against Mike Gatting's rebels in 1990 and 20 months later being a member of the non-playing "development group" which went to India on the historic visit of November 1991.

Even when he went to the World Cup and then the West Indies in 1992, there was no hint that he might emerge as the country's future captain; that honour seemed to belong to Mark Rushmere. As the Eastern Province man's form waned, however, Cronje's remained steady, although he failed to make the first Test of the series against India at Kingsmead.

Recalled for the second match of what was known as the "friendship series" Cronje played what was one of the most impressive single figure innings seen in a Test in this country, after South Africa wre left a groggy 31 for five on the first morning of the match at the Wanderers. Cronje's name first emerged as a possible captain during the 1993 Total triangular series and he was official vice-captain later that year when the side went to Sri Lanka.

Bleary-eyed South Africans watched him at Sydney in the New Year Test (the Bushfire Test it has been called). There was a battle to win the series at Adelaide but South Africa's batting frailities, and Darrel Hair's trigger finger, saw the series levelled 1-1.

From that point it was a matter of time when Cronje would take over from Wessels. There were rumours Wessels did not want tour England in 1994 and was persueded days before the tour that it was in South Africa's best interests that he do so.

Cronje's lack of form during that tour saw Wessels, with Bob Woolmer as the new coach, take the side on to a fruitless limited-overs series in Pakistan where nothing went right. Cronje was made captain for the remainder of that summer. He led South Africa to a convincing 2-1 win over New Zealand after losing the first Test at the Wanderers and then went to New Zealand where they beat the Kiwis in the only Test but failed to iimpress in the limited-overs series.

From that point Cronje's success has been impressive against India, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka. The 5-0 whitewash of a West Indies side which was a pale shadow of what it had been, showed his team's all-round strength. There were Test setbacks against the Australians and Pakistan. Last year's World Cup elimination against Australia in the semi-final at Edgbaston in Birmingham, England was a body blow to his ambitions of leading the hosts in the 2003 tournament.

There was no mistaking his passion for the game and his love for the side he had led, often with distinction; his captaincy had improved to the extent that Steve Waugh, the Australian captain, admitted that playing against South Africa had always added that extra dimension to his game.

While he does not, quite yet, ride off in to the sunset, his future is certianly uncertain while police in New Delhi feel a certain vindication.