Borde: Who could have thought Cronje could have done it

On hearing the news of Hansie Cronje's sacking after he admitted "dishonesty" to the United Cricket Board of South Africa, the pressmen at the Wankhede Stadium forgot all about Hemang Badani's spirited century out in the middle. The day had began with various members of the press cracking jokes about betting, match fixing et al. Cronje might not appreciate the humour in the situation.

Although this is the first time someone from outside the sub continent has been seriously involved in a scandal of this nature, one must not forget what happened with Mark Waugh and Shane Warne. They got away virtually scot free despite admitting having provided information about weather and the nature of pitches in exchange for money.

Given the fact that Indian players have been under the matchfixing cloud for sometime now, this admission from the South African captain has special relevance in India. In the VIP box outside the press box sat three men who know a fair bit about Indian cricket. On hearing the news, the chairman of the selection committee Chandu Borde said "I'm shocked. This is sad as far as cricket is concerned. Who could have thought Cronje could have done it." However, he cautiously added "We have to wait for the full reports to come in before deciding anything."

Former India captain and coach Ajit Wadekar who was also present refused to comment on the issue. Milind Rege, who is currently a Mumbai selector said he was "shocked." He also added that he "cannot believe cricketers could have done it."

Professor Ratnakar Shetty, the Joint Secretary of the Mumbai Cricket Association came out with a stronger statement. He said "now that Cronje has admitted to dishonesty, it is time the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also takes a firm decision on the issue. It is time they hand over investigations of allegations made by former cricketer Manoj Prabhakar and administrator Sunil Dev to official agencies like the police so that all doubts about Indian cricketers are cleared."

The surprise seems to be more at the fact that the allegations have gained such serious weight. As the drama unfolds, there will no doubt be much stronger reactions from cricketers.