Justice King to head match-fixing commission

The King Commission of Inquiry into match-fixing and corruption in cricket will begin sitting on May 10, it was announced on Thursday.

Headed by Justice Edwin King, a former Judge President of the Western Cape, the commission will seek to unravel the scandal which broke when India police laid charges of match-fixing against former South African captain Hansie Cronje and three team-mates - Herschelle Gibbs, Nicky Boje and Pieter Strydom.

Last month Cronje admitted accepting $8 200 from a bookmaker during the triangular series in January for providing information to a bookmaker. He was immediately sacked as captain and had his contract with the United Cricket Board revoked and has subsequently gone to ground, emerging only briefly to deny that he was involved in match-fixing.

On the face of it, the commission is a grander creature than first envisaged by the UCB which initially talked of an inquiry headed by a judge. This, however, is a full presidential commission with powers of subpoena. In announcing Justice King's appointment, Sports Minister Ngconde Balfour said: "This (the scandal) is not about cricket only. This has tarnished the image of other sports as well."

The hearings will be held in public, although they may be held in camera as well at the commission's discretion. The commission will have no powers of punishment, but will make recommendations and with the International Cricket Council having given itself teeth in the shape of bans ranging from five years to life, transgressors will be severely punished. It is unlikely that any South Africans found to have been involved will ever play international or first-class cricket again.

Thursday's announcement came shortly after UCB president Percy Sonn and managing director Ali Bacher returned from an emergency ICC meeting in London. Before the meeting Bacher had caused a stir by alleging that two 1999 World Cup matches had been fixed.

He was expected to be asked either to withdraw or prove his allegation in London, but instead he has prepared a five-page statement which will be handed into the commission as evidence. At Thursday's press conference, he continued to refuse to reveal the names of players, countries or umpires involved.

It is hoped that the commission will have completed the hearings on June 10 and an interim report will be published by June 30.