Interim report, a wet cracker

Johannesburg, Aug 24: South African Sports Minister downplays interim document to made played public todayRichards told reporters he felt ...

Johannesburg, Aug 24: South African Sports Minister downplays interim document to made played public today

Richards told reporters he felt 8220;very hurt and upset about all these allegations8221; about South African cricket. 8220;It is very important to now go through the process and clean the game up.8221;

Balfour ventured that the report, which will be made public on Friday, had not changed his opinion that South African 8220;cricket is in a very healthy state, it is not corrupt at all. I am still of the opinion that there are only one or two people involved in this type of thing and we can easily clean up the game.8221;

He added that the document was: 8220;Not a comprehensive report, it8217;s not final. The King Commission is sitting again on October 2.8221;

The report does not contain any recommendations on disciplinary action against Cronje or teammates Herschelle Gibbs, Pieter Strydom and Henry Williams nor does it pronounce on whether Cronje told the whole truth and will therefore be exempted from criminal prosecution.

The King Commission, appointed to probe the scandal that saw Cronje sacked as captain in April, held public hearings in June, but has asked for its mandate to be extended. The next round of hearings are expected to last about two weeks, and Balfour said, Commission head Judge Edwin King is expected to release his final report in November. 8220;We are pressing hard for the final report to be completed in November. We will assist them in any way possible to make sure it happens,8221; he said.

The Commission8217;s first hearings drew gasps throughout South Africa and the cricket world as Cronje admitted to the Commission that he had received thousands of dollars from gamblers and bookmakers on five separate occasions between 1996 and 2000. The scandal soon drew in other players as Gibbs and Williams told the Commission that Cronje had offered them money to underperform in matches against India this year, while Strydom made an attempt to place a bet on behalf of Cronje during a Test match.

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The United Cricket Board of South Africa UCB will announce on Monday what disciplinary steps it will take against the three men. Cronje is due to give his first television interview since the scandal broke to a South African pay channel on Thursday evening, on the eve of the release of the report, to Balfour8217;s dismay.

The minister has previously criticised Cronje for making money out the scandal long before the investigation was complete and on Thursday added: 8220;I8217;ll watch it with interest but I ould have thought he would not do it 8230; I expected some restraint.8221;

Exciting contest in offing
SINGAPORE: South Africa meet New Zealand in the last league match of the Singapore Challenge 2000 triangular cricket series on Friday, which will determine who gets to play in the final. Both sides, having lost their opening games to Pakistan, are without a point in the tournament. The winner in tomorrow8217;s game qualifies to play Pakistan on Sunday.

It may be a good toss to lose for both captains on a wicket that has so far played a bit slow, making stroke-play a hazardous proposition. Weather permitting, Kallang may well witness a pulsating game of cricket.