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Cassim's June 26 testimony

MR CASSIM: Before the triangular series, I think the test matches were taking place at that stage.

MS BATOHI: Well, the triangular series if I recall took place towards the end of January. In fact, you say it was during the period of the triangular series that he contacted you. Are you now saying it was during the test matches? Correct me, please.

MR CASSIM: During the test matches, I think, when he contacted me. I've got no dates here in front of me, but I think it was just before that One-day matches.

MS BATOHI: Well, I think you'll - it's important when he first made contact with you, and you say in paragraph 8.1: "It was during the time period that the triangular series was taking place in South Africa that I received a phone call from Sanjay Chawla." Now is that correct, or not?

MR CASSIM: That's correct, but it was in between the test and the One-day matches, that's correct.

MS BATOHI: So must I now read from what you just said that it was between - it was during the period from the end of the test matches and the beginning of the triangular series that he contacted you for the first time?

MR CASSIM: Repeat that question, please, Adv Batohi.

MS BATOHI: So are you now saying that it was during the period from the end of the test matches to the beginning of the triangular series that Mr Chawla contacted you for the first time?

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MS BATOHI: I'm just looking for my fixture list here, but is it correct that the Centurion match would have ended at around about the 20th of January this year? Is that correct? That was the last test match between South Africa and England.

MR CASSIM: I have no dates in front of me, Miss - Adv Batohi.

MS BATOHI: Alright, we're going to just get confirmation of that in a minute. But this would mean that basically it was towards the end of January that Mr Chawla contacted you for the first time.

MR CASSIM: It was just towards the end of January I think that last test match was being played. That's when he contacted me.

MS BATOHI: And when he phoned you - well, you had no idea who this person was that was calling you. How did the conversation go, very briefly?

MR CASSIM: When he called me he said, 'Hamid, how are you?' So I said, 'I'm fine. Who's speaking?' He said, 'It's Sanjay'. I said, 'Sanjay?' Then he said, 'Sanjay Chawla.' I says, 'No, I don't know you.' He says, 'No, I've met you in 90- - when India came to play', I don't even recall what year he gave me. And then we struck up a conversation and he says no, but he has met me and a lot of the players have told him about me, but I kept on saying, 'Sanjay, I don't recall who you are.'

MS BATOHI: Mr Cassim, I'd like you to think about this very carefully. You have testified - well, in your evidence-in- chief that it was during the triangular series that you met -that Mr Chawla called you for the first time, and now you've amplified that a little bit and basically said that it was perhaps during the test - the last test series which would have been at Centurion, which took place between the 14th to the 18th of January. During that period up until the start of the triangular series, you're sure about that? It was during that period?

MR CASSIM: I must be very honest. I just can't recall, but it was between the test - either the first test or the second test he called me, that's when he started talking to me.

MS BATOHI: Just explain that to me. Now you say it was between the test, 'either the first test or the second test.' What are you talking about now?

COMMISSIONER: He said between the first test and the second test. Is that right?

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MS BATOHI: Well, now we're moving a bit further back in time, because from the triangular series in your statement you've moved to between the period of the end of the test to the triangular series, then we went to the period of the Centurion test and the triangular series, and now you're talking about the first and the second test. Can you just think about this and tell me exactly what it is you mean, because I have no idea what you're talking about?

MR CASSIM: Adv Batohi, I think it was the test matches when he called me, but I have got no records of dates and that. I must be very honest with you, I've been going through a very difficult time in my life, and it wasn't of importance to me and I didn't even - see all those things, because I'm going a very difficult time in my life at that point.

MS BATOHI: Alright. Now I want you to then answer this question. If you now think it was during the test matches, why in your statement do you say very categorically, it was during the time period that the triangular series was taking place that he called you? Just answer that question, please. Why is there this difference?

MR CASSIM: Can't remember why I said that.

MS BATOHI: So is that not true?

MR CASSIM: I don't think that's - I don't think that's not true, because I've been going through - like I told you, Adv Batohi, I've been going through a very difficult period in my life, and I couldn't just remember everything at that time.

MS BATOHI: Mr Cassim, it was very, very simple for you to say when you made the statement, 'I think it was over this period, I'm not sure', that he contacted you for the - well, let's deal with it this way. How long before he landed in South Africa did he contact you for the first time?

MR CASSIM: I would say about two to three weeks ago.

MS BATOHI: Now we have evidence that he landed in South Africa on the 30th of December - I beg your pardon, January this year. Is that correct?

MR CASSIM: I won't be able to tell you what was the date when he landed. It was a Sunday, if I recall.

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