Monday 16th October, 2006 11 t has been an inter- Wessels to use it. clause that and paragraph some- made a good story. friend and generous Indian col- aster area. esting and enter- Wessels was not keen thing or other, he was in trouble Bob Woolmer, then South league now covering the The benefits of the US$16.8- Itaining few days, at all and didn’t fall in for what amounted to conduct African coach was furious when Champions Trophy games in million boost to upgrade grounds Yahaluweni. with Cronje’s plans. unbecoming of a national team he was told of the offer and had Jaipur, about Maharoof ’s bowl- throughout the country will help And before we get Second-guessing is member. Gibbs was mystified by words with the players (including ing. Last year, during the Sri the game as well. Better facilities into Farveez a dangerous game all the jargon. Cronje) and put it in his tour Lanka Test series, Sandeep sug- can improve the general standard Maharoof ’s brilliant though, but of the so- ‘Say, I thought this hearing report. Ali Bacher, then gested that the young Bloomfield of the game and lift the playing execution of the West called two names that was because I went to a nightclub Managing Director of the UCB, all-rounder didn’t have what it levels to make for a more compet- Indies batsmen in Gibbs gave the Indian and stayed up late. I don’t know has denied ever seeing Woolmer’s takes. On Saturday night, he itive game. It will make other Mumbai on Saturday, police it wouldn’t sur- about all this law stuff you are report, the newspaper headlines, admitted he was ever so humbly sports take note of how the crick- and the International prise if Henry telling me.’ or the story when it broke in munching on his words. et is moving forward and as such Cricket Council’s by Trevor Williams is one. The He was then fined 15 000 rands early December 1996. As with Upul Tharanga, become more attractive to play. impressive support for Chesterfield former swing bowler (about US$3500), of this 10 000 There has long been a suspi- Maharoof is a player of the Top players can expect to be bet- the game in this coun- was part of the squad rands (about US$2000) was sus- cion of what Bacher knew of the future and another who Sri ter prepared for international try, there is another subject that selected by the discredited panel pended, as was a three-match malpractices in which Cronje was Lanka will depend on for success. tournaments and will help fur- needs some airing. headed by Rushdi Majiet that ban. Again, Gibbs was baffled: involved. At the high-profile No one likes to deliver four balls, ther develop players of all age This is what Herschelle Gibbs made such a mess of selection ‘That ten grand suspended, is media conference at a Durban no-balls or wides; it is not deliber- groups, and that is what it is may have, or may not have told policy that it cost coach Graham that like a deposit in case I get beachfront hotel hours after ate. Just that sometimes it hap- about. the Indian interrogators last pens. As with the England tour, Floodlights for day/night Thursday. So far, all that has Sri Lanka’s bowling will become games at SSC will help the club emerged is the same ole . same more disciplined as the as well as the venue. Hopefully, ole record that has been played Champions Trophy progresses. the print media centre will be since the King Commission in There is also much to smile replaced by something more in Cape Town mid-2000. It is a bit It is the Gibbs and Maharoof about in Maitland Place these keeping with an international like watching those tasteless fast days. The ICC have found much venue. There is also a plan to put food variety events that pass for to their liking with the workings in electronic scoreboards. sport that has Brian Thomas of Sri Lanka Cricket under the If Moratuwa is to have a ceaselessly warbling off-key. interim committee and discus- facelift (hopefully something will Sifting through Indian news- show while ICC plans for SLC sions with some of the ICC hier- done about the appalling media paper columns and the various archy indicates how Jayantha facilities as well), so too at all websites it is surprising that the Ford his job. Cronje manipulated into trouble again?’ Cronje’s confession, Bacher said Dhamadasa has earned the coun- other venues. It is one thing to Indian police have failed to seek Williams to the extent that he had It would have been quiet he felt betrayed. Yet in the biogra- cil’s respect and faith which is uplift the standard of venues to the help of the ICC’s anti-corrup- the bowler playing when he was entertaining to have been in the phy Ali, it is hinted that Bacher mainly the reason for millions of international level, but unless tion unit to sort out any number unfit during that 2000 tour of room when Gibbs answered ques- knew Cronje had been in the pay United States dollars being put thought is given to print and web- of areas that Hansie Cronje India. tions by Indian police on match- of bookies before the 2000 tour of into the game in this country. site media needs to meet those of unveiled when he talked to the Gibbs is usually a quiet guy fixing and played with a dead bat. India. Most interesting and a Such paean praise is not a foreign journalists, there might ACU sometime before or after the on the field. But off it, he is a dif- It seems strange that having messy business that is still unrav- matter of acknowledging good be a worry. After all, TV with King Commission first sat. ferent character. nailed Cronje, Indian police have elling. leadership; it is also a way of say- non-broadcasting rights are given Surprising because much of what In 2000, days after Cronje had by their own admission, not pro- Far more entertaining is the ing that Sri Lanka have the man- too much preference while the Gibbs spilled last Thursday is in turned South Africa upside down gressed their case much beyond Maharoof demolition of the West agement abilities and resources, daily working journalist often the commission’s transcripts. with the match-fixing scandal, the initial 2000 findings and have Indies batsmen on a slow pitch especially those in Colombo and have to put up with scraps. Cronje was a great one for the mercurial batsman was at a waited six years for Gibbs to that was more in keeping with Galle, to stage a series of ICC This is because the facilities devious manipulation. Sure he nightclub at 3 am before that arrive to tell them more. Gibbs, it Sri Lanka conditions, especially sanctioned games. The island is available are outdated and one of used Derek Crookes as an open- Newlands limited overs game seems, has told them nothing those at Premadasa. Anyone who now seen as a neutral venue for the reasons that visiting journal- ing bowler; Crookes had on occa- against Australia in Cape Town. they did not already know. He is, has closely followed this likeable future Test and limited-overs ists cringe when they hear of a sions been successful in the same The story, as related to me by you see, an old hand at talking to young man’s career and seen the games involving other countries. Test being played at Asgiriya in role for the Johannesburg-based a former member of the discipli- disciplinary committees and has brickbats fly cannot but help This has already happened when Kandy. It is easier to watch the Gauteng Lions. New Zealand had nary committee, was of how now confronted one of the smile at Saturday’s rapid execu- Pakistan played Australia in 2003 game from the comfort of a hotel also used the ploy in the 1992 Gibbs arrived at his disciplinary demons from his past. It takes a tion of the West Indies middle- when Saravanamuttu Oval was room than put up with archaic World Cup with Kenya-born hearing in a T-shirt and sans any brave man to do that. order. used. conditions. Dipak Patel opening the bowling legal representation. The United What is surprising is how the He has always been an Upgrading facilities to inter- It has been suggested too that when the Kiwis management Cricket Board’s disciplinary old story of Cronje asking the impressive player and his wicket- national level is part of this Colombo might stage the next used the slow pitches prepared to guys, all lawyers with fancy bookies in Mumbai to raise the to-wicket line on Saturday, where scheme and the way it is being ICC Super Test and limited overs exploit the plan. No one accused degrees, asked him where his stakes an extra US$100 000 for a he had the length and angles handled suggests that the ICC games, scheduled for next year. the up-front Kiwis of using dodgy lawyer was. He felt he wasn’t in benefit match in 1996 has made right was a good example of just will be sending in a team to look Well this is interesting. After the tactics. need of one because he ‘trusted’ headlines yet again a decade how he has improved his game.