rediff.com: Chawla handed Cronje money: Cassim

Sweet shop owner Hamid Cassim said on Monday he saw London-based bookmaker Sanjay Chawla hand an envelope containing money to former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje.

"...they had a conversation for about 10 minutes relating to cricket. They talked about match forecasting, pitch conditions, team selections (and) the conditions upon winning the toss," Cassim told the 10th day of a commission of inquiry into match-fixing.

"I then saw Sanjay take an envelope containing money and hand it to Mr Cronje. I was surprised that Cronje took it.

The handover took place in a Durban hotel on January 31 on the eve of a limited-overs match between South Africa and Zimbabwe, Cassim said.

Cronje was sacked as captain after he admitted in April that he had taken money from bookmakers, prompting the South African government to launch the inquiry.

Cronje admitted to the inquiry last week that he took close to $100,000 from bookies but denied fixing matches.

Cassim denied on Monday that he had been involved in match-fixing, telling Judge King that he had merely introduced Cronje to Chawla.

Cassim said the 180 phone calls he made to Cronje in January, February and March showed his love of the sport.

"It is my nature to phone all the players all the time," Cassim said. "I tried to keep in contact with all the players all the time."

A record of Cassim's phone calls produced by his lawyer Mannie Witz showed that the Johannesburg shop owner also phoned Cronje's team mates Darryl Cullian 33 times, Lance Kluesner 28 times, Hershelle Gibbs 14 times and Paul Adams 30 times.

PTI adds: Cassim told the Commission that he had become friendly with former India captain Kapil Dev during India's 1992-93 tour of South Africa. He said he used to take Kapil Dev to dinners and to meet family and friends.

He said he was invited by Kapil Dev to India where he was instrumental in organising a benefit match for Madan Lal. He said Kapil Dev once gave him one of his Test caps and his autobiography.

Cassim said since the early nineties whenever India visited South Africa he used to organise vegetarian dinners for the players at his house in Johannesburg as well as in Cape Town.

He said besides taking care of the needs of the players, he also arranged for Ajay Jadeja, Javagal Srinath and Ajit Agarkar to undergo surgery in South Africa.

Cassim said he also introduced Indian actress Reena Desai to Cronje and some other South African cricketers. He said it was during the one-day triangular series involving South Africa, England and Zimbabwe that Reena Desai visited South Africa.

"It was during one of South Africa's practice matches at the Wanderers that I took Renu (Reena Desai) to meet the players. I can remember I introduced her to Herschelle Gibbs, Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener but she was particularly interested in meeting Jonty Rhodes and Hansie," Cassim said.

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