Cassim brings Kapil back to the spotlight

The King Commission on Monday entered the fourth week of its inquiry in the match-fixing scandal. The preceding three weeks saw a couple of sensational disclosures by the South African players and officials. There were allegations, counter allegations and vehement denials. Nevertheless, their testimony is now placed on record. This week will be crucial for some people either directly or indirectly involved in match-fixing. In the meantime, the names of Kapil Dev and IS Bindra started to make the rounds again in what seems to be a never ending drama.

Resuming its hearing on Monday, the King Commission questioned Hamid `Banjo' Cassim, the man who introduced Hansie Cronje to alleged bookmaker Sanjiv `Sanjay' Chawla early this year. In his testimony before the commission, Cassim spilled more beans. A sweet shop owner in South Africa, Cassim said his relationship with cricketers started when he became friendly with Indian all rounder Kapil Dev during the Indian tour to South Africa in 1992-93. He added that Kapil introduced him to other Indian and South African cricketers and also invited him to India. Cassim also spoke of introducing Indian film star Rino Desai to Cronje and other players.

The state prosecutor Shamila Batohi handed over a document to the commission which contained Cassim's mobile telephone statement revealing 180 calls to Cronje, 146 of which were made during the triangular series between South Africa, England and Zimbabwe in January and February. Cassim told the panel of inquiry that he met Chawla after receiving a phone call from the bookie saying he had heard about him (Cassim) and that he was aware of his extensive contacts with South African and Indian players.

Cassim said when he introduced Cronje to Chawla in the latter's hotel room in Durban, he saw Chawla hand the South African captain an envelope which he took from his room safe and added he was "very surprised" when he saw Cronje accept the envelope. This followed a conversation about "scores, match forecasting and team selection." He denied that he had helped Chawla to bribe the disgraced captain.

Meanwhile, Justice Edwin King asked the Delhi Police to release the tapes which have the voice of Cronje as the lawyers are questioning their authencity. In an interview to a TV channel, King said "the authenticity of what the commission had was being challenged. Being part of the commission of inquiry, I am not bound to the strict rules of evidence, as might have been the case in a court of law. There are certain fundamentals that are necessarily ensured, to ensure that the hearing is fair. So it would be very important for the commission to have an authenticated transcript of what's what." King remained non-committal on whether Mohd. Azharuddin would be summoned by the commission.

On a separate front, one of the early prominent characters in the match fixing drama, former BCCI president IS Bindra has suddenly woken up from a deep slumber with a new allegation that match-fixing was prevalent in the seventies itself. In an interview from Shimla to a newspaper, Bindra said that he had informed about match-fixing to those who mattered and they did not respond. Bindra said "the people who mattered, who could set things right were all told about it, but nothing happened in the right direction."

Bindra opined that corruption relating to TV rights and off-shore matches and not match-fixing has to be scrutinised. Bindra said "This amount could go to a mind boggling $250 million and there are enough documents to which the CBI can lay its hand on, if it so desires."

Bindra favoured public screening of the CBI inquiry like the King Commission in South Africa but felt the way things are progressing, it would take about 8-10 years for the CBI inquiry to conclude. By then players like Azharuddin and others would have quit the game. Bindra added "the reason why the Indian Cricket Board was not taking action against the players on the pattern of the South African board was because the players would also name the officials of the board who had got the matches fixed."

Though it has not yet been proved, it now seems certain that there is a nexus between the mafia, bookies, players and officials going by the statements made by those who have either held or still hold responsible positions. With ICC president Jagmohan Dalmiya's term coming to an end, one can expect more cans of worms being opened, more so along racial lines. With Malcolm Gray of Australia taking over as president of the ICC under trying circumstances, one really has to see whether he can handle events in the current scandal with tact and diplomacy in the coming days. But will there be a counter to the South Africans tactics of desperately trying to seek scapegoats and trying to put the blame on the sub continent for corrupting their "innocent" players?