MATCH-FIXING CASE

South Africa cricketers face prospect of fines, jail time

by Tristan Holme & Luke Alfred • Last updated on

It is almost a year since Tsotsobe admitted that he was under investigation, and said he was unsure of what the outcome might be. © Getty

The South African cricketers who were caught attempting to fix matches in the 2015-16 domestic Twenty20 tournament are currently in the sights of the country's National Prosecuting Authority, and are facing the prospect of fines and possible jail time. Cricbuzz has learnt that the case is in the hands of a state prosecutor, who has gained ammunition from the original whistle-blower in the case.

It has also been established that another player who was involved in the scandal, former South Africa fast bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe, has failed to pay his legal bills and has regularly ignored the allegations that Cricket South Africa's Anti-Corruption Unit have made against him.

The Anti-Corruption Unit have been investigating the events leading up to the 2015-16 Ram Slam Twenty20 tournament since November 2015. In that time, six players have been banned for their part in the saga. While former South Africa international Gulam Bodi was hit with a 20-year ban after admitting to serving as an intermediary between fixers and players, Thami Tsolekile (12 years), Pumelela Matshikwe (10), Ethy Mbhalati (10), Jean Symes (7) and Alviro Petersen (2) have subsequently admitted their part in the affair and received bans.

Of the six, Petersen's case was the most intriguing after he claimed to have been the whistle-blower. However, Cricbuzz has learnt that two players from the Dolphins franchise, batsman Vaughn van Jaarsveld and fast bowler Craig Alexander, were in fact responsible for alerting CSA to the scheme. In a statement following his ban, Petersen admitted that he had participated in meetings with fixers and failed to immediately report them as he was obliged to. It is understood that van Jaarsveld and Alexander did not make the same mistake.

Both players were representing Kwazulu-Natal Inland in the Africa T20 Cup, an early-season warm-up tournament that preceded the Ram Slam, when they were approached by Bodi. Having failed to gain a playing contract for the season, Bodi was commentating on the Africa T20 Cup but also used the tournament as an opportunity to sound out players with whom he was familiar. Bodi, van Jaarsveld and Alexander knew each other from Bodi's time at the Dolphins.

While many players who were approached by Bodi did not take his often jokey suggestions seriously, it is understood that van Jaarsveld and Alexander reported them to the authorities. Approached for comment by Cricbuzz, van Jaarsveld directed queries to Willem van Zyl, a state prosecutor who is currently representing the state in its case against a former crime intelligence boss. Van Zyl said he was not permitted to speak to the media, and directed queries to the NPA's media department, who did not respond to a set of questions.

The involvement of van Jaarsveld and Alexander is significant because both would serve as credible witnesses, unlike the players who have already been banned. A case against former New Zealand international Chris Cairns in England in 2015 showed the difficulty of making match-fixing allegations stick when a key witness, former batsman Lou Vincent, was made out to be an unreliable witness based on his own history of fixing.

Any charges against the players in South Africa would be based on the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act of 2004, which has a section dedicated to offences relating to sporting events and another relating to gambling. Players who plead guilty to the charges against them would likely appear collectively, but those who claim innocence would appear individually.

Tsotsobe's place in the whole affair is still to be established. It is almost a year since he admitted that he was under investigation, and said he was unsure of what the outcome might be. He has not played any cricket in that time, although it is understood that he rejected a lower-grade contract offer after his franchise, the Lions, were persuaded to offer one to the fast bowler by a third party.

Cricbuzz has also learnt that he has an outstanding bill with the legal firm representing him, and that they are unlikely to offer further advice until it is settled. Several sources said that Tsotsobe has been attempting to ignore the allegations. But one familiar with the case said: "As I understand it, it shouldn't go away. It's serious allegations and it needs to be followed up on."

© Cricbuzz

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