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Officials in Delhi pleased with Cronje's suspension

Amberish K Diwanji in New Delhi

With South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje being suspended in connection with the match-fixing controversy, external affairs ministry officials today looked pleased that their stand had been vindicated.

The ministry had confirmed from the Delhi police that the case was foolproof before allowing them to go public.

Sources in the ministry said that given the sensitive nature of the matter, the officials wanted to be more than cent per cent sure about the facts of the case. "Before we went across to the South Africans, we checked and double-checked. Only then did we inform the South Africans and let the police go ahead," they said.

"In any such case involving top people from other countries, we are more than careful. And it is because we had extremely strong evidence on our side, evidence beyond reasonable doubt, that the ministry gave the green signal," the sources said.

An official of the ministry said the sudden and angry reaction from the South Africans was not unexpected, but the Indian side was confident that once the anger had subsided, its case would become clear.

"The immediate reaction in South Africa was understandable," said an official. "After all no one likes their country's heroes being called cheats."

Thus, the MEA looks at the meeting between South African High Commissioner for India Maite Nkoana Mashabane and Joint Secretary, Africa, Pavan Verma as a logical outcome. "The people in South Africa were enraged. This put pressure on the politicians who in turn asked the bureaucrats and diplomats to do something. Thus there was this meeting to show that the South African government was not sitting idle," the officials said.

Even the immediate denial by the South African Cricket Board chief Ali Bacher is being seen in that light -- to let the temperature cool down before moving in for the kill.

There was some confusion about whether South Africa had indeed been informed prior to the Delhi police going public with the charge. The high commission insisted it had not been officially informed, while the external affairs ministry said it had informed the South African authorities. But given the different words used, it is evident that India had informed South Africa unofficially.

The other feeling in New Delhi is that South Africans were so angry because of the racial factor. "It was Indians who were accusing white South Africans, and there is no doubt that South African whites think themselves superior," said the external affairs ministry official.

The South Africans had expressed doubts about the authenticity of the investigation by the Delhi police, but the official said there was no doubt that the evidence was solid. "Had a European country accused the South Africans, they would not have created such a noise, but because it is us Indians making the charges, they get upset, doubting our ability," said the official.

But right now, everyone in the external affairs ministry is wearing happy smiles.

It may be recalled that only last year, the only black man in the South African cricket team, Mkhaya Ntini, had his career interrupted when he was accused of rape. "When the black person was accused, the South African press was quiet, but when a white guy is accused, that too by Indians, all hell breaks loose," he remarked.

The Betting Scandal: The full story

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