Bacher opens up King commission

Ali Bacher broadened the scope and shifted the focus of the King commission on Monday, eventually charging that cricket was under threat from Mafia-style syndicates of unscrupulous bookmakers.

Bacher told the commission that he personally had been threatened with physical violence, although he declined to give details. And in response to a question from John Dickerson, acting for Hansie Cronje, agreed that he would not be surprised to learn that the former South African captain had also received threats, including some death threats. Presumably the commission will hear more of these threats when Cronje eventually takes the stand.

Bacher's evidence during the morning session was sweeping in its breadth. After going over the now well-worn territory of Cronje's confession, he changed tack, naming last year's World Cup matches between India and Pakistan and Pakistan and Bangladesh as being fixed.

He claimed that Pakistan umpire Javed Akhtar - "There were 10 LBW decisions during the fifth Test at Headingley in 1998, nine were given by Akhtar, eight were against South Africa and seven were considered by many experts to be very dubious" - was on the payroll of a Karachi bookmaker who flew into Leeds a few days before the Test to make sure his client was kept sweet.

And then there was the letter from Jacques Sellschop, submitted by Bacher as evidence. Sellschop flew business class from Johannesburg to Durban on April 18 on SA 523. Next to him, in seat 4A, was "an attractive young man of dark complexion" with black hair which curled down on either side of his face.

This young man told Sellschop that he was a Pakistani opening bowler, holder of the world record for the fastest delivery and that match-fixing was widespread, with most national teams on offer for around US$1-million, including, he specified, Australia, whose "authorities are well aware what's going on but deal with it much more sensibly". After later seeing pictures of Shoaib Akhtar, Sellschop offers the view that "unless the world's fastest bowler has a genetic double, I am certain it is he".

Of course, much of Bacher's evidence on these matters would not be admissible in a court of law on the grounds of hearsay - Bacher's sources are Majid Khan, Javed Burki, an Indian bookmaker Bacher refers to as Mr R and Sellschop.

Majid has apparently verified Bacher's claims about the World Cup matches, while Mr R has vanished. Bacher believes he has gone to ground for his own protection.

The real point, though, is that Bacher has tossed the ball squarely in international cricket's court. One way or another, these allegations will have to be confirmed or rejected. Cricket simply cannot afford to ignore them.

In terms of the Cronje affair, there was more corroborating evidence from Bacher which together with evidence from Lance Klusener and Mark Boucher that Cronje had made them, together with Jacques Kallis, an offer over pasta in a hotel room in Bangalore shortly before the second Test against India this year.

According to both Klusener and Boucher, the offer was made in now familiar terms, framed as a joke and forgotten about almost immediately when the three said they weren't interested.

Neither saw anything sinister in the Centurion Park Test, although Klusener admitted he was surprised and upset by Cronje's declaration on the last day, because it denied him a possible Test century. "It might have looked good on TV and it was exciting," said Klusener, "but I don't think it's a good way to get a result from a Test match."

There is still no confirmation on when Cronje will take the stand. Most, including the UCB lawyers expect it to be this week, and it is believed that even Cronje's lawyers want him to give his evidence sooner rather than later in order to get his ordeal finally done with.

And when he does, he will have yet another loose end to tie up. Charles van Staden, a South African Reserve Bank official, testified on Monday morning that two amounts - $10 000 and $37 630 - had been handed over by Cronje's lawyers to be placed in a trust fund. The Reserve Bank has been waiting for two months for Cronje to supply an explanation as to how he came to be in possession of this money.

There is still, though, the matter of culpability, at least as far as South African cricket is concerned. No one is sure how far this goes back insofar as Cronje is concerned. It may be late 1996, it may be early 1995.

But it has been going on since at least 1996, and no one let word of it leak out. Bacher denies that either Robbie Muzzell, manager in 1996, or Bob Woolmer, coach in 1996, mentioned the infamous Bombay team meeting when they returned from India.

He swore to this under oath, and submitted the manager's and coach's reports of the India tour as evidence. But it is clear that cricket has either wilfully or unknowingly allowed players to be gradually sucked into a web which now seems to spread far wider than anyone imagined possible.

"Cricket administrators can't solve this on their own," said Bacher. "We need the co-operation of governments and police forces."

Last word: Boeta Dippenaar has been named to replace Herschelle Gibbs on the South African tour of Sri Lanka next month.