Boje is innocent: Ex-UCBSA chief

Dr Ali Bacher said, "I can read people. When the scandal broke, Gibbs' body language was not good. Boje was fine."

Former Chief Executive of South African Cricket Board Dr Ali Bacher firmly believes that Nicky Boje, alleged to have been involved in the match-fixing scandal, is innocent of any wrongdoing.

HT Image

Bacher, the man behind the successful conduct of the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, also said the scandal that blighted cricket's good name six years ago, was the biggest crisis to have affected the game in its long history and he was happy the game had come out of it.

Bacher, who is in India as consultant for South Africa-based electronics display firm Stellavista and is negotiating with Indian centres organising the matches in the ICC Champions Trophy to sell giant TV display screens and giant scoreboards, also came out in support of having a players' representative in cricket administration.

Asked specifically about Herschelle Gibbs, who served out a one-year ban for match-fixing related activities, and Boje, Bacher said the latter had no part in the scandal.

"Nicky Boje was innocent. I know that for a fact. When it (the scandal) all broke, Herschelle Gibbs' body language was not good. Boje was fine. I can read people. He was innocent," said Bacher in an interview.