"Hansie phoned myself and Mr. Sonn at 3 a.m. Tuesday morning and told us that he had not been entirely honest with us regarding his involvement," said Bacher. "We immediately decided it would be in everybody's best interests if he stood down from the series."

 

Bacher said Cronje had not elaborated on his statement. The charges are based on tapes and transcripts of a telephone conversation in which police say Cronje discussed payment for himself and others in return for throwing a match in the five-match series that India won 3-2. 

 

On Monday, South African officials asked India to hand over the tapes allegedly incriminating the cricket players.

 

Sonn and Bacher, who had spent the night at a game lodge in KwaZulu-Natal, will meet with the South African squad at Kingsmead on Tuesday afternoon and plan to hold a news conference later in the day.

 

"Hopefully by then we will be able to elaborate," Bacher said. The captaincy will be taken over by vice-captain Shaun Pollock, SAPA reported. Cronje was absent from the team's practice Tuesday morning and his whereabouts remain uncertain.