Borde: Who could have thought Cronje could have done it
On hearing the news of Hansie Cronje's sacking after he admitted "dishonesty" to the United Cricket Board of South Africa, the pressmen at the Wankhede Stadium forgot all about Hemang Badani's spirited century out in the middle
Anand Vasu
11-Apr-2000
On hearing the news of Hansie Cronje's sacking after he admitted
"dishonesty" to the United Cricket Board of South Africa, the pressmen
at the Wankhede Stadium forgot all about Hemang Badani's spirited
century out in the middle. The day had began with various members of
the press cracking jokes about betting, match fixing et al. Cronje
might not appreciate the humour in the situation.
Although this is the first time someone from outside the sub continent
has been seriously involved in a scandal of this nature, one must not
forget what happened with Mark Waugh and Shane Warne. They got away
virtually scot free despite admitting having provided information
about weather and the nature of pitches in exchange for money.
Given the fact that Indian players have been under the matchfixing
cloud for sometime now, this admission from the South African captain
has special relevance in India. In the VIP box outside the press box
sat three men who know a fair bit about Indian cricket. On hearing
the news, the chairman of the selection committee Chandu Borde said
"I'm shocked. This is sad as far as cricket is concerned. Who could
have thought Cronje could have done it." However, he cautiously added
"We have to wait for the full reports to come in before deciding
anything."
Former India captain and coach Ajit Wadekar who was also present
refused to comment on the issue. Milind Rege, who is currently a
Mumbai selector said he was "shocked." He also added that he "cannot
believe cricketers could have done it."
Professor Ratnakar Shetty, the Joint Secretary of the Mumbai Cricket
Association came out with a stronger statement. He said "now that
Cronje has admitted to dishonesty, it is time the Board of Control for
Cricket in India (BCCI) also takes a firm decision on the issue. It is
time they hand over investigations of allegations made by former
cricketer Manoj Prabhakar and administrator Sunil Dev to official
agencies like the police so that all doubts about Indian cricketers
are cleared."
The surprise seems to be more at the fact that the allegations have
gained such serious weight. As the drama unfolds, there will no doubt
be much stronger reactions from cricketers.