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Change Your Life! |
South Africa fights for honor amid further matchfixing revelations |
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News |
April
17, 2000 JOHANNESBURG, APR 16 (AP) - South African captain Shaun Pollock won the toss and elected to field against Australia Sunday in the third of three one-day internationals, as the scandal of ousted captain Hansie Cronje deepened. South Africa's Sunday newspapers were filled with reports of more damning evidence implicating Cronje. According to a newly published transcript of an alleged phone conversation between Cronje and bookie Sanjiv Chawla, Cronje promised to allow India to score. "I will give them some runs," Cronje was quoted as saying in the transcript, published by The Sunday Independent, a Johannesburg newspaper. "It's a small ground and it's a quick outfield. So they must get about 280 to 290." Earlier transcripts of tapes, allegedly recorded by police in India last month while South Africa was on tour there, plunged Cronje square in the middle of the worst scandal to hit international cricket. Cronje last week admitted receiving about 10,000 dlrs and said he had "forecast" some matches, but denied fixing them. If the latest transcript is genuine, it would appear to confirm Cronje fixed matches, despite his denials, The Sunday Independent said. The transcript was released by Delhi police, the newspaper said. As the scandal continued to boil, Cronje's former teammates tried to concentrate on their match against world-champion Australia. The two teams were locked at one match each in the three-match series. It has been billed in South Africa as revenge for the home team after the Australians went on to win the World Cup in England last June, putting the South Africans out in a thrilling tied match at Edgbaston. South Africa won the first match by six wickets in Durban last Wednesday, and Australia hit back, easily winning a low-scoring match in Cape Town by five wickets. |