UCBSA statement from Dr Bacher on Soller statement

This statement, with the relevant supporting statements and affidavits will be handed to the King Commission. I am fully prepared to re-appear before the Commission and would welcome a thorough investigation by the Commission on this particular issue.

On Tuesday 13 June 2000, a Mr Peter Soller made a statement to Beeld newspaper. It was given to the King Commission and published the following day. In that statement, Mr Soller made the allegation that I had offered a West Indies XI an inducement to lose a match during a tour to South Africa in the 1980s.

In February 1983 there was a contractual dispute with the West Indies XI in Johannesburg regarding a bonus. This was settled amicably with no inducement to the team to lose a match.

The following people, who were involved in those negotiations with the West Indies XI have independently been in contact with myself and the UCBSA lawyer, Clifford Green in the past 24 hours:

Richard Tessel
Gregory Armstrong
Lawrence Rowe
Paul Winer
Joe Pamensky

Their reaction was immediate and they have all indicated their willingness to present affidavits refuting these allegations. These men have all stated emphatically that there is no truth in the allegations made by Mr Soller and they all confirm that the matter was amicably resolved.

Richard Tessel, who conducted promotional work for the West Indies players, was involved in discussions surrounding a bonus for spectator attendances. He states: "At no time ever, during, before or after that meeting was it ever mentioned that any cricket match, be it that one or any match, would be thrown (or blow the match as the Beeld article on the Internet states) for monies received. It is a total fabrication and a lie."

Gregory Armstrong, who was the manager of the West Indies XI, said: "It is unbelievable and untrue. There was never a word mentioned about match fixing or losing a match."

Lawrence Rowe, who captained the West Indies XI, said: "There was never any approach to fix any match during our tour to South Africa ... by Dr Bacher or any member of the South African Cricket Union, any such statement is outrageous and absolutely false."

Paul Winer, an attorney who, along with Peter Soller, represented the West Indian XI at the time, states: "I am able to categorically state that during my involvement in the matter, at no stage whatsoever was there any mention of any of the one day internationals being fixed and that the West Indies were offered an additional bonus to "blow the game" so-to-speak. The discussions held only related to the dispute concerning the payment of the bonus as the minimum gatetakings had been achieved in the series ... I therefore find that Soller's contentions are absurd ..."

Joe Pamensky, President of the SACU at the time, says there is no substance to the match fixing allegations. "There was never any talk or mention whatsoever of match fixing or of losing a match."

An additional letter was sent to Clifford Green by Keith Lister, an attorney who was consulted by Gregory Armstrong. Mr Lister was given a statement by Mr Armstrong detailing the history of his dealings with the SACU during the two West Indies XI tours in the early 80s. He says that the document ran to 20 000 words and in it Mr Armstrong dealt in detail with the contractual dispute that erupted at the Wanderers. He says: "At no point in the statement is there any reference, either express or implied, to any suggestion or offer by Dr Bacher or by anyone else, whether player or administrator, that the result of any game should be contrived or that any player should under-perform in any way."

I have been advised that there are legal remedies available to me and I am discussing these options with my lawyers.

Dr Ali Bacher
Managing Director
June 15 2000

Issued by: Bronwyn Wilkinson, Communications Manager, United Cricket Board of South Africa,