Cronje... disgraced the game.
Tony Becca, Senior Sport Editor
A FEW months ago Hansie Cronje was the idol of South Africa, he was the one young South African boys wanted to be like, and with huge billboards around South Africa's cities bearing his picture and asking the question "Who will be the next Hansie?", he was the one they were encouraged to be like.
Today, however, the icon is no longer the idol. Today Hansie Cronje is a disgraced man, he is like a leper who no one wants to see much less touch. The once revered captain of South Africa is now an outcast - and so broken that apart from losing weight, he seems, according to people close to him, at the point where he may do something foolish.
Cronje's fall was the result of greed. According to his own words in a South African court a few days ago, he accepted money and gifts to fix cricket matches, and in so doing, committed the cardinal sin in sport.
In saying that he was naive, that although he took money and gifts he did not really fix any match, and that he could not get out of it because of a fear for his life, Cronje has asked forgiveness.
Should Cronje be forgiven? The Christian faith says he should be, and maybe he should be. That, however, is not easy.
In his greed, in accepting money to fix the result of matches, Cronje damaged the image of the game, he let down his colleagues, as the captain he reneged on his responsibility to the United Cricket Board of South Africa, to South African cricket, to the people of South Africa - black, white and coloured, and most importantly, as the captain he betrayed those he led.
Cronje's behaviour was tantamount to a general deliberately leading his troops into an ambush - into the enemy's hands, because of his greed, the game has been tainted to an extent where every upset in recent years is being questioned, where every surprise result in years to come will be questioned, and because of that he should not be forgiven.
It should be remembered also that Cronje, the captain, not only let down the game and his country, but he also encouraged others to do so.
The game, however, may end up owing Cronje something.
For years, certainly for the past eight years, people around cricket, people who are still living in the past and in the belief that cricket is clean and pure, have denied match-fixing. By opening his heart and pouring out his soul, however, Cronje has exposed what has been going on and there can now be no denial.
In fact, based on what has happened so far, by the time he is finished, by the time his cross-examination is over, by the time those who are named try to save their own skins, some big fish may be on the hook.
Right now, there is uneasiness right around the world of cricket, the whispers are growing louder and louder day by day and the fingers are pointing in every direction - including towards the West Indies.
People, for example, are talking about the West Indies defeat to Kenya in World Cup 1996, their below par performances in the Sharjah tournaments, they are calling names, and West Indian fans, certainly in Britain, and many close to West Indies cricket are keeping their fingers crossed and hoping that Cronje will not call a West Indian name, and that none of those who he expose will call a West Indian name.
Cronje is about to be buried and there are hardly likely to be any mourners. He is an embarrassment to the game, death threat or no death threat, he betrayed his colleagues, and what is important is that every effort be made to clean up the game. Cricket cannot afford a cover-up. From now on, the chips must be allowed to lie where they fall - even if it reveals another Hansie Cronje.
