No appointment yet of Cronje inquiry judge.

Centurion: Plans to launch South Africa's probe into the Cronjegate match-fixing scandal is still being stalled at government department level although it is almost two weeks since plans to hold a commission of inquiry was announced.

It emerged yesterday that the Department of Justice have as yet not named a judge to handle the case, although Dr Ali Bacher, managing director of the United Cricket Board, had expressed his hope the name of the judge would have been made known last week.

Bronwyn Wilkinson, the media relations officer of the UCB, yesterday confirmed that the board had not been told of the appointment of a judge.

It is 11 days since the Minister of Sport and Recreation, Ngconde Balfour, and representatives of the UCB met and agreed to an inquiry to investigate allegations of dishonesty in South African cricket.

The Department of Sport and Recreation were to appoint a judge after consultation with justice ministry to head an inquiry to investigate the claims with agreement that the probe is to be independent of the UCB. At this stage inquiries terms of reference have to be formulated, the inquiry will concentrate on:

- Current revelations which have emerged around disgraced cricket captain Hansie Cronje and others as a result of investigations by Indian authorities into match-fixing.

- Investigate in a broader sense whether there are other instances of dishonesty in South African cricket which may not yet have emerged.

The latter item is designed to ensure that the game complies with the ethics of 'fair play" contained in the International Cricket Councils' Code of Conduct as well as maintain a high level of integrity in South African sport.

What is no doubt worrying Dr Bacher and the UCB executive is that there is a wish to have the inquiry finished by the end of May with the results submitted to the ICC along with the UCB's affiliated members.

The statement said the UCB were eager to have all its affiliates and their members co-operate with the inquiry. Cronje's legal counsel has indicated that he will also co-operate fully.

Dr Bacher is to leave on Sunday for the ICC's crisis meeting at Lord's which is being held on Tuesday and Wednesday and has already gone on record saying "there will be an opportunity behind closed doors in London next week for an honest and open discussion on the issue".

This came after ICC president Jagmohan Dalmiya demanded a retraction from Dr Bacher about claims of match-fixing during the World Cup.

"If there is no retraction he (Dr Bacher) will have to explain why he went public with such allegations," the Calcutta-based millionaire businessman has said.

Australian sources last week alleged that Dr Bacher claimed at least two World Cup matches were fixed, at least one umpire was involved in match-fixing and doubts had been raised about others.