Azharuddin and Sachin Tendulkar deny links with SA middleman

“Sources,” said the newspaper, “introduced Cronje to Chawla, the London businessman whom the Indian police claim they have on tape talking to Cronje.”

The paper then went on to allege that Cassim had links with Mohammad Azharuddin and Sachin Tendulkar.

Although the newspaper said it had contacted Azharuddin at Bangalore last night and that he had confirmed that he and several other international players knew Cassim, Azharuddin denied to PTI having spoken to the newspaper.

Contacted in Bangalore, where he is leading Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy semi-final, an angry Azharuddin snapped, “I have not spoken to anybody.” Asked if he knew Cassim, Azharuddin responded “I met so many people in South Africa.”

Tendulkar also reacted angrily when contacted in Mumbai by PTI. He said all he knew about Cassim was that he used to organise food for vegetarians in the team during their tour of South Africa.

“I would prefer to be away from all this. If someone says he has met me and has photographed himself with me, it does not mean he is a great pal of mine,” Tendulkar said. “He has organised Indian food for the team, especially for the vegetarians. That’s all my relationship with him is.

“I have always kept away from all such things. I stay away from such people. I would like to take care of making runs and enjoying my cricket.

“If this is the case, I would even cut off from talking casually to such people,” he added.

The daily quoted unnamed sources as saying that Cronje was a very good friend of Cassim and that several other South African, Indian and Pakistani cricketers had visited his shop.

When contacted by the newspaper, Cassim is reported to have said: “I can’t talk to you. I don’t want to comment on this matter.”

A former India player who has toured South Africa said Cassim was known to many players as he used to arrange food for the Indian team.

In a poll conducted by the same newspaper, South Africans have voted overwhelmingly for allowing Cronje to play again as details of the bribery scandal that led to his downfall began to emerge. Ninety four per cent of the 7,220 respondents voted to allow Cronje to play for South Africa again, against six per cent who said “no”.

Meanwhile, though South Africa and India have no extradition treaty, foreign ministry spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa had said if the Indian Government requested extradition, President Thabo Mbeki would ask Justice Minister Penuell Maduna to establish a magisterial inquiry to determine whether the charges were “of an extraditable nature”.

The South African cricket board’s managing director, Ali Bacher, had told journalists on Tuesday that Cronje had received an amount between $ 10,000 and $ 15,000 but Beeld newspaper reported today that the sum was actually $ 8,200, which it said Cronje’s brother, Hans, had counted at Bacher’s request. Bacher said Cronje had not been sure of the exact amount because he had not counted the notes himself.

A reserve bank official told the Citizen newspaper that Cronje could be fined up to 250,000 rand ($ 38,000) for being in possession of foreign currency.

As the match-fixing scandal kept South Africans engrossed, star all-rounder Lance Klusener dismissed as “ridiculous” newspaper reports that he had tipped off the Indian police about his captain’s alleged involvement in the match-fixing scandal.

The Star newspaper quoted a report in a Dubai daily as saying that Cronje and Klusener were involved in a tiff after the third one-day international at Faridabad on March 15 and that the all-rounder called the police and tipped them off.

Klusener told The Star: “I know nothing of this entire issue. I have never ever had an argument with anyone. This is ridiculous. It’s absolutely crazy. I did not know there was something on the go.”

Meanwhile, fans who have not abandoned Cronje can bowl him out of a New Delhi jail in a website game. “We felt that we needed something to lift South African spirits after the shock admissions by Hansie on Tuesday and thought a game in which the public can help Hansie would be the best option,” said John Kuhn, spokesman for the website.

Cronje loyalists can log onto Gal.Co.Za and throw cricket balls at the wall of a jail cell while a tinny version of “I want to break free” by British rock band Queen blares out of the computer speakers.

But if the player fails to hit the wall enough times in the allocated time, the wall stays up, Cronje stays in jail and South African sports minister Ncgonde Balfour pops onto the screen and starts crying “Oh, Hansie, my captain, my captain”.

Cronje’s family says it is overwhelmed by the support offered to them. “It is in a time like this that you realise who your real friends are, and it’s amazing to see how many real friends Hansie has,” said Cronje’s father, Frans Cronje, in a statement issued yesterday.

He said he was aware that many South Africans felt let down by Cronje. “I have said it often that all people are fallible and that we have to keep our eyes on god for all the solutions.. People must also remember that god is the one that is perfect, not people,” the statement said, adding the family remains proud of Cronje. In due course, people would know everything about what happened, the statement said.

“As far as I know, Hansie never fixed any games, in South Africa or India, he never spoke to any of the players and he never received any money for match fixing in India,” the statement said.

Cronje has once again issued a denial. “All I will say is I was not involved in fixing or manipulating the results of cricket matches. I always played to win,” he has said in a statement faxed to Reuters.

“I know of no member of any side that I have led who has done anything reprehensible or wrong. I find myself in an awful predicament brought about by my own foolishness and naivete. I realise that I face certain personal difficulties,” Cronje said.