Klusener 'blew whistle on Hansie'

By Iqbal Khan

In a sensational twist in the Hansie Cronje match-fixing saga, it was reported on Wednesday that star all-rounder Lance Klusener tipped off the Indian police about Cronje's alleged involvement in the scandal.

Cronje on Wednesday kept his silence on the affair, a day after his shock admission and sacking as South African captain.

Klusener on Wednesday night denied the claim. "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."

Asked why police in New Delhi would implicate him, he said: "Maybe it's to drive a wedge in the team. They may have wanted to split the team."

Cronje, who disclosed that he received about R90 000 in United States dollars from a bookie during the triangular series in South Africa earlier this year and that he was continuously harassed by bookies during the Indian tour, is reported to have had a fallout with Klusener during the recent one-day series in India.

The Gulf News in Dubai ran a story yesterday saying Cronje and Klusener were involved in a tiff after the third one-day international at Faridabad, outside New Delhi, and that the all-rounder called the police and tipped them off.

The Gulf News claimed a senior New Delhi police officer confirmed that they were tipped off by Klusener about the alleged match-fixing.

Cronje has since been stripped of the captaincy, removed from the national squad for the three one-day internationals against Australia, and his contract has been suspended by the United Cricket Board.

New Delhi police sources said: "Klusener called up police following some arguments with his skipper in the lobby of New Delhi's Taj Palace Hotel when the two teams arrived in the capital for the match that was played at Faridabad. Following a tipoff, we decided to tap Cronje's mobile phone."

Transcripts of the recorded mobile-phone conversation between Cronje and Sanjiv Chawla, the non-resident Indian bookie who is believed to be involved in the scandal, suggest that Chawla wanted Cronje to talk to Klusener in this regard.

The article further states that the Indian police have approached Interpol to secure samples of Cronje's voice in order to match the alleged conversation between Cronje and Chawla, who is allegedly behind the scam.

The police have also requested Interpol to secure details of Cronje's bank account in London after it was found that Chawla had promised to deposit money in his account.

Pradeep Srivastava, the Indian deputy commissioner of police, said the investigations indicated the involvement of a third party based in South Africa, but they had not been able to identify the man.

Meanwhile Ali Bacher, managing director of the UCB, said he was not aware of any tiff between Cronje and Klusener while they were on tour.

"I am very close to Goolam Rajah, the manager, who would have told me of any incident as he informs me of every move."