Disgraced Hansie Cronje banned for life

The United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB) has ordered a life ban on disgraced former captain Hansie Cronje, who has admitted receiving money from bookmakers.

The ban, which was widely expected, extends to all the UCB's related cricket activities as well as that of its affiliates, a board statement said.

The resolution was passed by the UCB general council at a meeting here on Tuesday and announced today.

Cronje in June admitted to the King Commission that he received thousands of dollars from gamblers and bookmakers on five separate occasions between 1996 and 2000.

He also confessed that he offered team-mates money in exchange for underperforming in Test matches.

The commission will resume its hearings into the matter in November and is likely to make recommendations to government by early December, according to sports minister Ngconde Balfour.

According to the UCB resolution, Cronje has seven days to make representations to the general council regarding the resolution.

Last week, former president Nelson Mandela met Cronje and urged him to rise above the match-fixing scandal that cost him the captaincy of the national side.

"I am saying to him, without excusing in any way what he has done if the allegations are proven to be right, that he can be a role model and turn this tragedy into triumph," Mandela said after the meeting.