ICC plan crisis meeting over match-fixing issue

Johannesburg: As world cricket's governing body plans a crisis meeting at London in the first weekend of May there is no sign as yet of the name of the judge to run the probe into the Hansie Cronje match-fixing allegations.

With claims that Cronje had accepted R1-million in fees from a South African linked bookmaker Hamid "Banjo" Casssim, said to be of Fordsberg, the Indian network which involves millions of rands in gambling, has created further embarrassment for the disgraced former national captain. According to Indian sources Cronje has received millions of rupees as part of his involvement in "business deals" which have as yet not been substantiated.

Dr Ali Bacher, managing director of the United Cricket Board, today confirmed that his board would prefer the findings of the commission to be made public. "Ultimately, in the best interests of world cricket, that whatever the report is it has to go public," Dr Bacher said at a press conference at the board's offices yesterday.

"It is up to the judge to decide what form the inquiry should take (open or closed) but we would prefer an open inquiry," he agreed.

Dr Bacher said that if the inquiry was to be held in camera as "a way of getting the truth out" it was serving its purpose, but the final report had to be made public.

The UCB and the Government had also agreed to have the commission of inquiry finished by the end of May.

From London the International Cricket Council, who runs their offices from the "Clock Tower" at Lord's feel that it is time "to respond to the current crisis arising from allegations against several players".

In a six paragraph statement, the ICC president, Jagmohan Dalmiya, known to be a good friend of South Africa said the ICC directors (of which Dr Bacher is one) are extremely concerned at the damage to the image of the game by the flow of allegations about players being involved receiving payments from bookmakers.

Dalmiya is said to have "urged those involved in the game not to make speculative public comment."

"While in most cases these are unsubstantiated allegations, it is vital that any person who has firm evidence comes forward to the ICC, the code of conduct committee or the governing body in each country."

A wealthy Calcutta businessman, Dalmiya is to meet today with the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India to discuss matters relating to betting and match fixing and the actions proposed by the BCCI.