‘Fallen Idol’: The story behind Hansie Cronje’s lifetime ban from cricket

‘Fallen Idol’: The story behind Hansie Cronje’s lifetime ban from cricket

Hansie Cronje

The video-streaming platform Netflix came up with another masterpiece in the form of Bad Sport. The documentary walks the viewers in detail through some of the biggest controversies in the world of sports. One episode from the series that captured the attention of the cricket enthusiasts, happens to be the last one, the ‘Fallen Idol’. 

The episode talks about one of the biggest match-fixing scandals in the history of the gentleman’s game. The story revolves around the former South African skipper Hansie Cronje. In the last 90s, Cronje was viewed as one of the most respectable citizens in the Proteas nation. 

However, all of that changed when South Africa toured India for a two-match Test, series followed by five One Day Internationals in 2000. On April 7, 2000, the Delhi Police stirred a massive controversy when they revealed about having a recording of the conversation between Hansie Cronje and Sanjay Chawla, a bookie of an Indian betting syndicate.

Apart from the skipper, three other South African players including Herschelle Gibbs, Nicky Boje, and Pieter Strydom were also named in the investigation by the Indian police. However, Cricket South Africa (CSA) denied all the claims and labeled them as libelous and defamatory.

A lifetime ban was imposed on Hansie Cronje

Hansie Cronje
Hansie Cronje

However, the evidence forced Cronje to accept that he took $10,000 to $15,000 to forecast the result. Subsequently, an investigation was set up by CSA that brought a lot of match-fixing incidents in limelight. Gibbs also admitted to Cronje offering him $15,000 for losing an ODI game against India in Nagpur. 

The skipper had also offered $15,000 to Henry Williams to conceded more than 50 runs with the ball during the same One Day International. All such claims resulted in Hansie Cronje getting sacked as the skipper. More such incidents also surfaced in the investigation where the players testified about Hansie offering them money. 

The entire controversy ended with the Proteas cricketer getting a lifetime ban from the game of cricket. The hour-long episode, Fallen Idol, beautifully narrates the entire story of greed and match-fixing. 

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