Cronje to wait on verdict of report

Judge Edwin King, the head of a commission of inquiry into the Hansie Cronje match-fixing scandal, submitted an interim report to the South African government yesterday, but made no recommendations for disciplinary action.

Judge Edwin King, the head of a commission of inquiry into the Hansie Cronje match-fixing scandal, submitted an interim report to the South African government yesterday, but made no recommendations for disciplinary action.

Presenting the report to Sport and Recreation Minister, Ngconde Balfour in Cape Town, King said he was sure measures would be taken to eradicate malpractices in cricket. Balfour is passing on the report to President Thabo Mbeki and Justice Minister Penuell Maduna.

The United Cricket Board of South Africa will convene a disciplinary hearing for Herschelle Gibbs, Henry Williams and Pieter Strydom on 19 August.

Gibbs and Williams admitted to the commission that they had agreed to an offer of a bribe from Cronje, while Strydom made an attempt to place a bet on behalf of the former captain during a Test match.

King has not yet made any finding on whether Cronje had told the whole truth and should therefore receive indemnity from criminal prosecution.