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'Azhar introduced me to Mukesh Gupta'

On the evening of the third Test in Kanpur, the third day, I received a call from Azhar who was friendly with a number of South African players. He called me to a room in a hotel and introduced me to Mukesh Gupta otherwise known as MK, and then he left us alone in the room. MK asked if we would give wickets away on the last day of the Test match to ensure that we would lose the match. He asked me speak to the others and gave me approximately $50,000 in cash. I was led to believe that this was an easy way to make money, but I had no intention of doing anything. I did not speak to the other players and did nothing to influence the match.

In the event, however, we lost the match. I received the money and I rationalised to myself that this was somehow acceptable because I had actually done nothing. Before the final one day international, MK asked me to speak to the players to throw the game, which I agreed to do. By that stage we were exhausted, it was the a long and arduous tour and a number of key players were suffering from injuries and MK asked me to convey an offer of $200,000 to the team to throw the match.

It was a long time ago and I cannot remember the exact sequence of events, but as far as I can remember it was as follows: I spoke to some of the players beforehand, advising that a team meeting would be called to consider the offer. I conveyed the offer to the team, which rejected it. And I recall in particular that Andrew Hudson, Daryll Cullinan, and Derek Crookes were strongly against it. It was a decision that had to be unanimous or not at all. After the meeting, a few players remained and they asked whether the offer could be increased. I telephoned MK and told him that the team was not interested, but I asked whether he could increase the offer to $300,000. He said that was too much, but he would increase it to $250,000.

The next morning, before the match there was a brief meeting at which it was confirmed that the offer was rejected. When Mr. Woolmer, the coach, heard about it, he was very angry about it. He was later quoted in the media about the offer and its rejection. I telephoned MK and told him the offer was rejected. No money was given, but I however heard him say that the team was sub-standard because of the number of injured players. I received no money or other incentives for this information. I had no others dealings with MK, John or any other bookmakers on that tour.

However, when India first toured South Africa at the end of 1996-early 1997, MK came to South Africa. He was in Durban for the first Test and in Cape Town for the second. I am still not sure whether MK is a bookmaker or a punter. I believe, however, that he is one of the bookmakers referred to in Mr. Bacher's statement who was staying in the Royal presidential suite. I was asked by MK to provide information for the first and the second Tests, on which I innocently said yes. I understood that MK would pay me an unspecified amount if he won anything. In respect of the first Test I supplied him with the pitch condition and the daily forecast. In respect of the second Test I was only asked to tell him when, at what score, I would declare.

After the first Test, MK transferred a sum of $50,000 into my NBA savings account, Bloemfontien account number 2250054526. South Africa won both the first and second Tests of this series. And the third was drawn. None of these results were fixed or manipulated. MK had asked me to speak to the players about throwing the third Test match and promised to pay me $300,000 if I did so. But I refused.

After the '96-'97 Indian tour to South Africa MK contacted me on a few occasions. He requested me for information. I think this was the quadrangular ODI series in Pakistan involving SA, SL, Pak and WI. I cannot recall speaking to MK again. I cannot recall any further contact with any bookies, punters, until the fifth Test against England at Centurion park earlier this year.

The fifth Test match between England and SA was held at Centurion Centurian Park from the 14th to the 18th on January 2000. The match had persisent rain and it became clear that it would turn out into a draw. The match in itself was not significant as the series had already been won.

In the rain interruption, the meeting was held between myself, Nasser Hussein, the English captain, Dr. Ali Bacher, the match umpires and the match referee in the library of the northern (audio unclear). Dr. Bacher was anxious to start the game as soon as possible and there was pressure to turn the game into a one-day international; but this was not possible because of a clash of sponsors. The Test matches and one-day internationals have different sponsors in South Africa. Thereafter, on the evening of the fourth day, I received a call on my cell phone The caller identified himself as Maurice (audio unclear), I'm not sure of the spelling. I do not know where he got my cell phone number and I have not seen him heard of or spoken since. We chatted for a while. Maurice said he was a cricket lover and wanted to see action on the field. He said that my image as a captain was (audio unclear) and I was being perceived as a (audio unclear) and negative captain. We also spoke about our (audio unclear) which had not been good. (audio unclear) that assessment.

Maurice suggested that I speak to Nasser Hussein, the English captain, about an early declaration to make a contest of it; saying that would be good for both me and for cricket. This is something that is often done in county cricket in which each side forfeits an innings. It had never been done in a Test match. Maurice also said that he was involved with NSI, a local company, which I now know to be involved with sport fixing. I did not know this at the time and only became aware of it in April of this year. Maurice says that if the cricket players agreed to make a game of it, he would give 500,000 rand to a charity of my choice and would also give me a gift. We did not discuss either the charity or what the gift would be. He asked whether he could meet with myself, which we did that night. He wanted to call Nasser Hussein, who was in the same hotel upto my room. I refused because I did not want him to be involved.

We spoke about cricket and the Centurion Test. I was impressed by his knowledge of the.... of cricket. We shared (audio unclear) a positive love for cricket. He genuinely sounded as though he wanted to see a cricket contest and I was not asked to influence other players to perform badly or to influence the result. Maurice's suggestion seemed to make perfect sense from an entertainment point of view. It was never in the (audio unclear) for me to entertain the offer from him for doing something for which I was required to make an independent decision as captain. Maurice asked me to call and let him know if and when we decided to declare. The morning of the fifth day, the question was raised and discussed by the respective team coaches and captains. The England team and management seemed reluctant and I called Maurice and left a message that there would be no declaration. Play as usual was resumed but about 45 minutes into the match I received a message from Nasser Hussein that the English were now interested in a competitive declaration. There were discussions between the two teams about a realistic target to be set and once this was set, it was agreed that we would declare.

There were mixed views within the team about the declaration. Some members were opposed and others were in favour. I think it was the correct decision. (audio unclear a message, which was an electronic printed message sent by cell phone to Maurice advising that the game was on, or words to that effect. He subsequently told me that it had been impossible for him to get any bets on the game as it had been... as he had been advised too late to do so. The match was a closely fought encounter with a lot of action, which made for good entertainment. Had Paul Adams not been injured during (audio unclear) that day, I believe we would also ultimately have won.

Dr. Bacher called me the following morning to thank me for saving what would have been a disastrous Test. So did Mike Procter and Richard Harrison (??), the president of the Northern (audio unclear). After the game, Maurice visited me at the (audio unclear), I think it was the following evening, where I was staying, and gave me a leather jacket and 50,000 rand in two cash amounts. 50,000 and 20,000 on two consecutive days. I believed it to be the gift that he had spoken of. He said it was in consideration of me giving him information in the future; but did not specify what this information would be. The 500,000 rand, which had been promised to a charity of my choice did not materialize and was never mentioned again. I should never have entertained the discussion with Maurice and it was wrong to have accepted anything from him. It has only shown to discredit what I believed was recognized as a good love for cricket.

I was not asked by Maurice or anyone else to throw, lose or otherwise fix any result or performances in the Centurion Test. The declaration was a genuine attempt to turn the game into a spectacle, which was agreed to by both teams. I was also anxious, because of my (audio unclear) to have an opportunity to gain money for poor. I truly believed that we could win the Test, even with the declaration and (audio unclear) to force a (audio unclear) on South Africa to win, (audio unclear) to do so. The match was indeed a genuine result and was in no way manipulated but that, of course, does not justify my conduct.

The day before the first one-day international against Zimbabwe, at the Wanderers, on the 28th of January 2000, I was approached on my way to the nets at the Wanderers by an individual, who I only know as Hamid. He had been a regular hanger-on around the team for a few years and was also handing out (audio unclear) to team members and asking for tickets. I subsequently discovered that his full name was Hamid Cassim. He is known, not by the players, as (audio unclear) and owns a sweet shop in Johannesburg. I'm also aware that Hamid is a friend of Mohammed Azharuddin. Hamid said that if he had only known that I was going to declare in the Centurion Park Test, he could have made himself some good money. My response was, "Why didn't you ask me?"

At the beginning of February, I traveled with the team to the (audio unclear) intercontinental (audio unclear) at (audio unclear). We were due to play the first one-day international in the series against Zimbabwe at Durban on the second of February. Hamid was at the hotel when we arrived and he introduced me to a man known to me only as Sanjay, whom he said was from London. I was not told that he was a bookmaker and thought that he was a (audio unclear ...scient..ist). Hamid and Sanjay indicated that Sanjay wanted me to supply them with information but did not specify what this information would be. They also said that I could make a lot of money if we would lose the match. I said that I was not prepared to lose unless we were assured of a place in the final of the Triangular Series.

I was stringing them along, as I do not think I had any real intention of throwing the match. Sanjay handed me a cell phone box containing US dollars in case I changed my mind. I did not count the money, which was kept in a filing cabinet at home, together with my prize money from the World Cup, the Kenya series and (audio unclear) allowances. It was subsequently counted, not by me, on the 11th of April, when I confessed to receiving it. I was told that it was between....it was about 10,000-15,000 US dollars. It was difficult to see which of the money in the filing cabinet had come from Sanjay because that money was kept together with dollars derived from my winnings and allowances and advance payments that I had received in respect of players signing on fees, deposits and travel allowances for what proved to be a (audio unclear) benefit tour to the subcontinent in April of this year. All of these monies were handed over to the Reserve Bank through my attorney.

I am told that they amounted, in all, to $10,000 US dollars plus a further sum of about 37,000 US dollars. This sum of $37,000 was made up of ... in the following manner: On or about the 15th of February 2000, I'd received in advance $25,000 in Bloemfontein as an advance on payment due to the South African players participating in the benefit matches. The payment was for the signing on fee, the deposit and the travel cost of the players. (audio unclear). The payment was made in Bloemfontein in cash. The balance of the dollars was the residue of my World Cup and Kenya winnings and sustenance allowances, which I had converted to dollars. It may have also included dollars left over from previous tours and overseas trips. It was not initially my intention to throw any games or to fix results. (audio unclear) and keep the money without having done anything or influenced matches. In fact, the (audio unclear) of games or results in South Africa and I supplied no information in respect of matches in South Africa. I realize now that the purpose of the payment was to hook me for the Indian tour. Since I've been on the Indian tour in February and March 2000, I was increasingly pushed into predicting results and found that I had gotten into something from which it was very difficult to get out.

Cronje's testimony continues:
'Calls would come through to my room, at times at 2 and 3 o'clock in the morning'