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When Indian police announced match-fixing charges against South African captain Hansie Cronje in April, few could believe their ears. Cronje appeared to embody the gentlemanly code that traditionalists like to believe still governs the most traditional of sports. But cricket was on the verge of its worst ever scandal. Coaxed into a tearful confession by a Pretoria commission, Cronje admitted being paid for match information and asking teammates to play badly, although he denied match-fixing. He was later banned for life. Meanwhile, India also experienced the shock of seeing its heroes dragged through the gutter. National legend Kapil Dev was amongst those accused, as was Mohammad Azharuddin. In protest, Dev quit as national coach, claiming cricket had been "murdered" by sleaze but he was clean. The Indian report, released in November, at least exonerated Dev. But among those alleged to have known notorious bookmaker MK Gupta were West Indian batsman Brian Lara, ex-England captain Alec Stewart and Australia's Mark Waugh. All protested innocence but, with Cronje's inquisition set to resume in January and with Indian inquiries far from complete, the question remains: How deep does corruption flow?
--Simon Hooper
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