'Banjo' could be crucial in Hansie saga

By Luke Alfred

Mohammed "Banjo" Cassim, biltong-provider and friend to the stars, is emerging as an increasingly crucial witness in the King commission, and could provide more information about the crucial link between South African cricketers and the shadowy world of match-fixing.

Cassim, known to Hansie Cronje as Hamied, is mentioned on a number of occasions in the handwritten confession Cronje handed to Rory Steyn, the United Cricket Board's security consultant, early in the morning of April 11, but Itzy Blumberg, Cassim's lawyer, denies that his client has ever played more than a facilitatory role in introducing Cronje to a bookie.

Blumberg has admitted that Cassim was present when Cronje received money before the South Africans went to India but has denied that Cassim did the handing over.

Yet, in his confession, Cronje implicates Cassim to a greater degree, alleging that Cassim phoned him early on the morning of the first one-day international against India in Cochin. "I ignored him the night before the match but the (sic) early the next morning Hamied phoned me again and urged me to go ahead with the plan. I phoned him up and suggested we go for it. All this time I had in the back of my mind pride to play for SA and my team-mates, whom I all respect. It was a difficult period for me before the match, and I then decided I won't not try. I'll give it my best shot and see what happens."

Further on in his confession, Cronje implicates Cassim again, this time in an apparent reference to the fifth Test against England at Centurion Park. "He (Cassim) told me that if only he knew I was going to declare he could have made himself some good money, and my reply was, 'Why don't you ask?' "

There are still more references to Cassim's phone calls in Cronje's confession, as Cassim apparently phoned Cronje throughout the one-day series in India. The last time, according to Cronje, was before the fifth one-dayer in Nagpur: "That was the last I spoke to him (before the match in Nagpur) and I told Hamied not to bother me anymore. In Dubai he phoned me a few times, fishing around and trying to get some tickets, which I organised, but nothing was done after (sic) again."

Blumberg, however, insisted that his client was nothing more than a broker who put people in touch with the cricketers. "I would describe him (Cassim) as a guy who likes hobnobbing," said Blumberg. "I wouldn't describe them as the rich and famous, but he likes mixing with those kinds of people. He's a facilitator; he's a Liverpool fanatic. He knows many of the cricketers really well - he knows Fanie de Villiers, he knows Daryll Cullinan - he's that kind of guy."