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Cronje's June 22 testimony

MR CRONJE: I didn't want to discuss this with him in the public eye, in front of the cameramen, there was 20 metres to go before we get to the pitch, it is going to look really bad if you speak to the opposing captain and exchange teams and take a long time to get onto the field. As I say I was really nervous at the time.

MS BATOHI: So in Malik's view at that stage, all he would have known is that you chatted to John. Did you at any subsequent stage during that day or that game, try to speak to him and tell him that, to find out what he knew about John's approach to you?

MR CRONJE: No.

MS BATOHI: Why not?

MR CRONJE: I wasn't curious.

MS BATOHI: You had already compromised yourself, because Malik knew that you had been approached by John. Wasn't it important for you to perhaps tell him that he was and that you didn't want to have anything to do with it?

MR CRONJE: That would probably have been the appropriate thing to do, but I didn't want to do it at that stage.

MS BATOHI: Yes, my question is why not?

MR CRONJE: I wouldn't be able to answer that, Ms Batohi. I am not sure.

MS BATOHI: Is it perhaps once again because you had already decided that this was some way of perhaps making money in the future?

MR CRONJE: Ma'am, as I said at that stage, I wasn't sure that there was going to be an approach in the future.

COMMISSIONER: Is it possible that your nod to Salim Malik might have left him under the impression that you had agreed with John to throw the game?

MR CRONJE: That could be, yes.

MS BATOHI: And if that in fact was a possibility, wouldn't it have been more important for you to set the record straight with Malik, he obviously knew something about it? Wasn't it important then for you to get to him at some stage and say to him "look, I have chatted with him, but I want to have nothing to do with this", to clear your name, so that you needn't be embarrassed every time you saw him in future?

MR CRONJE: Well, I assumed that my opposing captains know that I play the game hard and I play it fair and I don't have to give them the impression that I am not ...

MS BATOHI: Well, that may well be the case, Mr Cronjé, but you had spoken to a person, so-called shady character in the underworld, for want of a better description, and Malik knew about it, wasn't it important for you to set the record straight?

MR CRONJE: Probably it would have been the correct way of doing it.

MS BATOHI: Once again, Mr Cronjé, you chose not to do what was correct at the appropriate time?

MR CRONJE: Yes, that is correct.

MS BATOHI: Mr Cronjé, dealing with the 1996 tour, South African tour to India, if you will just bear with me, Mr Commissioner, you said that, well your first approach was from someone by the name of Sunil, is that correct?

MR CRONJE: Yes, I wouldn't call it an approach, I would just call it a casual conversation. Sunil had befriended myself and a couple of other guys in the touring party, and he just mentioned to me that if at any stage in the future, or on this tour, I had any desire to make some money, I must just contact him.

MS BATOHI: How long after this were you introduced to Mukesh Gupta or MK?

MR CRONJE: I think the discussions with Sunil took place during the one day series or during one of the matches in Mumbai, and the third test match took place after the one day series was finished, so I probably presume it was about three or four weeks after.

MS BATOHI: Is there any reason why you chose to turn down Sunil and accept Mr Gupta's offer?

MR CRONJE: I cannot give you a reason for that, I wish I can. I am absolutely not sure why.

MS BATOHI: It is just something that is a bit strange, you turn down somebody a few weeks before that and a couple of weeks later, you are willing to do business, can you explain that?

MR CRONJE: Well, once again, Ms Batohi, when we toured this year, I also turned down an offer in Dubai from a different person, and accepted one earlier from somebody in India, so to me it doesn't make sense in my own mind why I should turn somebody else down and accept it from another person. I wish I can explain it.

MS BATOHI: Just dealing with the third test against India at Kampur, this test ran from the 8th to the 12th of December in 1996, is that correct?

MR CRONJE: I will check my notes.

MS BATOHI: I think you can take it as being correct, unless you want to confirm that.

MR CRONJE: That is correct.

MS BATOHI: Just before we deal with that, you mentioned in your evidence yesterday that you and Mr Azharuddin were good friends, is that correct?

MR CRONJE: Yes, and that was the same with a lot of other players in the Indian, Pakistan, West Indies, English, a lot of sides.

MS BATOHI: Can you just describe your friendship with Mr Azharuddin?

MR CRONJE: I am not hundred percent sure when the first sort of good friendship started, but I think it was on the 1992 tour when India toured South Africa. Azhar was the captain then and I was captain of the side that played at Centurion Park, the young side, under 23 side, President's XI that played against them. I think it is since then that we have just clicked.

MS BATOHI: Would you say then that from, by the time of this third test, in December 1996, you and him were actually very good friends, is that correct?

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