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Journalism of Courage
DURBAN, April 17: Former South African wicketkeeper Dave Richardson has claimed his team was offered $250,000 (about Rs..1.09 crore) by bookies to lose a one-day benefit tie (Titan Cup final) played at Mumbai in 1996 and that it took three team meetings before the offer was rejected, the South African media has reported.
“The first meeting took place at the Taj hotel. The players decided to sleep on it. Nobody slept very well and they returned for a second meeting. And a third,” he was quoted as saying.
Richardson said in the end it was former opener Andrew Hudson who swung the players’ thinking. “It’s bigger than you think. This could open a whole can of worms. We can’t have anything to do with this offer,” he quoted Hudson as saying.
Former South African coach Bob Woolmer had made similar claims two days ago, but had said the offer was rejected after one meeting. “My stance was that anyone who was thinking about taking the money should be thrown out,” he was quoted as saying.
The allegations come in the wake of the sensational Delhi police case on betting and match-fixing involving Cronje, four of his team mates and two Indians. Cronje has been sacked after admitting to taking money from a bookie.
