Basson to lead off King commission

Brian Basson, the United Cricket Board's director of playing affairs and umpiring, will be the first witness to give evidence when the King commission of inquiry into match-fixing starts its hearings in Cape Town on Wednesday.

With the aid of video material, Basson will explain to the commission the intricacies of international cricket, with particular reference to how and when matches or portions of matches could be manipulated.

In essence, Basson will set the scene for the commission. It is understood that he will be followed in the witness box before the end of the week by Rory Steyn, a security consultant employed by the UCB, Bronwyn Wilkinson, the UCB communications officer and Goolam Rajah, manager of the South African team in India this year and assistant manager to the team which toured India in 1996.

Rajah, however, is still recovering from a recent shoulder operation, and may not be able to travel to Cape Town because of his condition.

It is believed that Hansie Cronje spoke to Steyn in Durban shortly before he made his late night confession to UCB managing director Ali Bacher. Bacher, meanwhile, is to travel to Cape Town at the weekend to be briefed by the UCB lawyers. He expects to give his evidence to the commission on Monday, June 12.

The commission is also believed to be considering calling a betting expert to explain exactly how spread betting and other forms of betting on cricket are conducted. Neil Andrews, a South African racing personality and television presenter, has been approached by the commission in this regard.

Once these preliminary witnesses have been heard, the commission is expected to move on to Cronje's South African team-mates, those of recent vintage, but also stretching back to the 1996 tour of India.

Exactly how many players will be called is not known, but one man who seems desperate to appear before the commission is former South African coach Bob Woolmer. Woolmer has not been subpoenaed by the commission, but has indicated his willingness to give evidence on several occasions. Given the fact that Woolmer's opinions of Cronje and his views on the affair have shifted back and forth frequently in recent weeks, any evidence he could give would be fascinating, at the very least.