Balfour warns Cronje

South African minister of sport Ngconde Balfour on Friday warned disgraced former captain Hansie Cronje that the King commission of inquiry into match-fixing had not yet completed its work.

Referring specifically to interviews granted to "selected media" by Cronje since his appearance at the King commission of inquiry as well as his reported plans to publish a book on his involvement on the affair, Balfour said "it should be noted that the work of the Commission has not yet been finalised".

Cronje was granted immunity from criminal prosecution in South Africa on condition he told the whole truth about his involvement in the affair. Should Judge Edwin King find that Cronje has not made full disclosure, this indemnity will fall away.

Balfour's remarks came as Judge King's interim report was formally handed over to the South African government. After studying the report, the government will pass it on to the United Cricket Board which has already appointed a three-man disciplinary to study the findings of the report and take whatever action it deems necessary.

Cronje has already said that he had severed all his ties with cricket, but Herschelle Gibbs, Henry Williams and Pieter Strydom are likely to be called before the disciplinary committee.

Of the three Gibbs clearly has most to lose in terms of an international career. One of the most talented sportsmen ever to have represented South Africa, he was withdrawn from the touring squad to Sri Lanka after admitting to accepting an offer from Cronje to give his wicket away cheaply in a one-day international against India in January.

Gibbs subsequently "forgot" to go through with the deal and played one of his finest innings ever for South Africa, but when the scandal broke in April he lied no fewer than eight times about his involvement.

Gibbs also has a three-match suspension hanging over his head after being discovered in a Cape Town nightclub in the early hours of the morning during the one-day series against Australia in April. He was found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute, but his three-game sentence was suspended for a year on condition he was not found guilty of a similar offence during that period.

In receiving the report, Balfour commended the UCB's determination to expose all irregularities that might have occurred.

He also appealed to South Africans to support Shaun Pollock and the national side.

"Much damage has been done to the image of cricket as well as to the reputation of the sports movement in the country, due to the actions of a few individuals," said Balfour. "It is regrettable that cricket has had to bear the brunt because of the greed of a few. I want to emphasise that any suggestion that cricket is corrupt and untrustworthy is absolutely without basis."

The hearings of the King commission will resume on October 2. It is expected that its terms of reference will be expanded and that Cronje will be recalled to give further evidence. It is also believed that the 1996 meeting in Bombay at which the South African team rejected an offer to throw a one-day game will come under closer examination.