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Cassim's June 26 testimony

MR WITZ: And Mr Cassim what treatment did the South African cricket players, the ones that you took over, because you went over on this particular tour or this benefit match, what treatment did they receive or reciprocal treatment from the Indian and the Pakistani test players?

MR CASSIM: The treatment that they received there was excellent. They could not believe the treatment that they were receiving there.

MR WITZ: And as I understand further from you that in recognition for the part that you played in arranging these players and arranging the benefit matches you also received a signed shield, a cricket shield, from the then captain or previous captain, Mr Azharuddin, is that correct?

MR CASSIM: Correct.

MR WITZ: You've still got that signed shield, is that correct?

MR CASSIM: Correct.

MR WITZ: Mr Cassim the next aspect that I just want to deal with in particular is, you obviously started developing a very keen interest by mixing with the cricket players, following the games, going on some of the tours, so-to-speak, and the benefit matches, and as I understand from you most of the cricket players, both local and international all had access to your mobile number?

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MR WITZ: In fact dealing with your mobile number, which I don't want you read on to the record in view of what has previously happened, it seems and especially in view of the lists handed in this morning from both Mr Aronstam and yourself, you are obviously keeping some cell providers as well as Telkom very, very happy.

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MR WITZ: I'd like you to just deal with paragraph 6.3 of your statement and just tell the Commissioner further in regard to your relationship with the international cricket players. 6.3 My relationship as such with the international cricketers as well as the South African cricketers is such that even when certain of the Indian cricketers required medical treatment and surgery, I was contacted in order to make the necessary arrangements for them. 6.4 I made all the arrangements with orthopaedic surgeons, Drs Noble and Ferguson for medical treatment and surgery for, amongst others, the following cricketers: Ajay Jadeja; Srinath; Ajit Agorkar. 6.5 I made all the necessary appointments with the doctors and I also made all the necessary arrangements to fetch the cricketers from Johannesburg International Airport and then take them to the said doctors for medical treatment and operative procedures.

MR WITZ: And this is something that has happened recently when these cricketers came here for medical treatment and surgical treatment, you made all the arrangements, fetched, took them, looked after them and handed them to the doctors and took them back to airports when their stay was finished, is that correct?

MR CASSIM: Correct.

MR WITZ: I'd like you to just read paragraph 6.5 into the record of your statement please.

MR WITZ: Yes.

6.5 I would state that because of my nature as well as my good friendship with Kapil Dev, as well as other cricket players, it became common knowledge amongst not only the international cricket players but also the South African cricket players that they felt that they could always call on me at any time.

MR WITZ: Now Mr Cassim I want to deal with the next position, besides the nickname of "Banjo" you have also become quite famous for your biltong. A lot of reference has been made in these proceedings for your biltong and I think you kindly provided some of your famous biltong, "Banjo's Biltong", to the Commission last week. You also have some present with you. Tell us a little bit about this biltong and what's the secret of the biltong?

MR CASSIM: The secret of the biltong is, and I'd notice whenever the players used to tour around the country food was not available at all times and when I went to the Wanderers once I saw them having biltong and I used to also always carry biltong with me. I am also a biltong lover. The very first time, the person who I ever gave biltong to, a cricketer, was Desmond Haynes. It was in Inderabad(?) in the Hero Cup. He saw me eating biltong and he said, "you are from South Africa man, that meat, I know that meat" and he took my entire packet, I'll never forget that. But the biltong, nevertheless the biltong part is that whenever the cricketers were around I would always give them biltong and sweets.

MR WITZ: Now Mr Cassim how did you arrange to give them the biltong and the sweets and in particular when they went on tour how did you arrange this? What did you do in order to facilitate this?

MR CASSIM: In order to facilitate this, if they were going on tour I would take it myself, personally myself to the airport, meet the players, wish them luck. On other occasions, like Goolam Rajah's wife would - like the last Goolam Rajah's wife came to buy biltong from my shop and the nature, the person that I am I couldn't charge her for the biltong. I gave her the biltong, and I sent more biltong for all the other players, it was via Goolam Rajah's wife.

MR WITZ: And we'll deal just now with Mr Goolam Rajah because I see according to this very impressive phone list of yours and the modern technology and this wide spread of phone calls, you have also had various telephone conversations with Mr Rajah, what is the position in regard to Mr Rajah and your so-called promised T-shirt that you are still waiting for, cricket shirt?

MR CASSIM: The so-called promised T-shirt was Ajit Agorkar when he came down here for treatment, we kept a good relationship and I still asked him please, for my collection, can you give me an autographed T-shirt of the Indian cricket team and he said fine. I phoned Goolam I said please, this was in Sharjah, I phoned Goolam and I said, "do me a favour please, Ajit Agorkar is going to give you a T-shirt signed by the Indian cricket team, bring it for me". When all this news broke out regarding the cricket, the match-fixing and batting scandals, up until today I am still waiting for my T-shirt from Goolam Rajah.

MR WITZ: Well we will speak to Advocate Manca, maybe he can arrange something for you. The next aspect that I would like to deal with is that, as I understand the position from you, when the test matches or the One-day internationals were being played, in particular here in South Africa, you yourself used to go along with the international teams, with the South African team, go and watch the matches etc, is that correct?

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

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