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Gibbs reveals some more names
The cricketer tells Delhi Police that he was offered money by Hansie Cronje to underperform, reports Sobhana K.
Delhi Police say Herschelle Gibbs has named some more South African cricketers who were allegedly involved in match-fixing. But it is not clear whether these are new names or the same as the ones Gibbs had named before the King Commission, the South African inquiry into match-fixing held in 2000.
"Gibbs has named a few more cricketers," said Ranjit Narayan, joint commissioner (crime), Delhi Police. "During further investigations, we shall be calling them for interrogation too." He said Gibbs did not name any Indian cricketer.
Gibbs was questioned by police on Thursday. He arrived at the Delhi Police headquarters with his lawyer Peter Whelan and the high commissioner of South Africa. Police had apprised him of the line of questioning they would take in advance.
Gibbs also admitted to being involved in the conspiracy and to having received two offers to underperform in one-day internationals. He had admitted as much before the King Commission. The South African board had then fined him, and suspended him for six months.
Gibbs told police that the then captain of the South African cricket team, Hansie Cronje, had offered him money to underperform on both the occasions. Narayan said: "The first offer was made in 1996 to the entire team, and the second, in the Nagpur match of 2000, exclusively to Gibbs. He has conceded he was involved in the conspiracy."
Police said they might question Gibbs again, but not during the ICC Champions Trophy in which he is playing for South Africa.
"All loopholes and gaps have been filled," Narayan said. "Now the probe can move forward."
Armed with Gibbs's confession, police can move towards getting the London-based alleged bookie Sanjeev Chawla extradited.
Later in the day, Gordon Templeton, South Africa's media manager, after receiving Gibbs at the Mumbai airport, said, "Gibbs is happy to have appeared before the authorities. He is now looking forward to do what he does best and that is cricket."
Cronje, Gibbs, Nicky Boje, Pieter Strydom and Henry Williams were charged by the Delhi Police in 2000 with cheating, fraud and criminal conspiracy related to match-fixing and betting.
It all began after Delhi police revealed they had taped Cronje in a discussion about match-fixing with Chawla.
