10 Biggest Controversies in Cricket History

5. Hansie Cronje€™s Match-Fixing €“ South Africa vs. England, 1999-2000

This example combines elements of both the #8 and #7 entries, seen as it involves a match between England and South Africa and accusations of match fixing. But while the Pakistan case was motivated purely by self-interest, the case of Hansie Cronje appeared at first to be in the interests of cricket. The fifth test of the 1999-2000 series at Centurion was poised to be a boring dead rubber. South Africa had already won the series 2-0, and after the first day€™s play, three whole days had been lost to rain. The game was drifting towards a meaningless draw and the spectators were disappointed at not getting their money€™s worth. But this all changed when South Africa€™s captain Hansie Cronje asked the England captain, Nasser Hussein, if they €œwould like to have a game.€ This resulted in South Africa declaring on 248/8, with each team forfeiting an innings and England having to chase 249 to win. They won by two wickets, ending South Africa€™s 14-game unbeaten run. It subsequently emerged that Cronje had been offered 500,000 Rand from a bookmaker, along with a leather jacket, if he declared and €œmade a game of it.€ The subsequent King Commission found Cronje guilty of match-fixing, sending shockwaves through South African cricket at the thought that one of its most popular and talented sportsmen could be capable of something so bad. What Happened Next: Cronje was banned from playing and coaching for life in October 2000. He unsuccessfully appealed the decision in 2001, and died in a plane crash in June 2002.
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Freelance copywriter, film buff, community radio presenter. Former host of The Movie Hour podcast (http://www.lionheartradio.com/ and click 'Interviews'), currently presenting on Phonic FM in Exeter (http://www.phonic.fm/). Other loves include theatre, music and test cricket.