SOUTH AFRICA: SOUTH AFRICAN CRICKET FANS MOURN AT FUNERAL OF FORMER CRICKET CAPTAIN HANSIE CRONJE

Record ID: 846640

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: SOUTH AFRICAN CRICKET FANS MOURN AT FUNERAL OF FORMER CRICKET CAPTAIN HANSIE CRONJE
  • Date: 5th June 2002
  • Summary: (U5) (FILE - GEORGE, SOUTH AFRICA) (FILE - OCTOBER 6, 2000) (REUTERS) MANDELA WITH HANSIE AND BERTHA CRONJE CLOSE UP OF HANSIE AND BERTHA CRONJE (MANDELA HEARD SAYING: I AM SAYING TO HIM HE CAN BE A ROLE MODEL AND TURN THAT TRAGEDY INTO TRIUMPH
  • Embargoed: 20th June 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BLOEMFONTEIN, SOUTH AFRICA
  • City:
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA7V1V4OBH3JHUQLQOQOUW2Y6V1
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Sports-mad South Africa was in mourning as it prepared to bid farewell to disgraced former cricket captain Hansie Cronje, who was killed in a plane crash at the age of 32.
    Former teammates, family, politicians and fans gathered in Cronje's hometown to pay tribute to the 32-year-old whose role in a match-fixing scandal two years ago shocked a sports-mad country and caused his expulsion from professional cricket.
    Cronje's funeral was due to begin at 1200 GMT at his former high school, Grey College, in his hometown of Bloemfontein, an Afrikaans stronghold in the mostly rural Free State province where cricket and rugby are revered.
    Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota, another famous son of Bloemfontein and chairman of the country's ruling African National Congress (ANC), headed the government delegation.
    Sports Minister Ngconde Balfour and former South African cricketers Pat Symcox and Allan Donald were among the mourners.
    South African defence Minister and ANC chairman Mosiuoa Lekota said that it was a "great loss to the country."
    And Allan Donald added: "There's lots of people who said he will take this scandal to his grave, and that's absolute nonsense, and quite pathetic to be honest and for us and I know South Africa, he will be buried with great dignity, lots and lots of people in this country will see him as a hero, and that's how I remember him and for all the good things his done on the cricket field."
    Bouquets of flowers lined the entrance to the 147-year-old school and school boys in blue blazers were lining up to form a guard of honour to escort the casket into the hall where the service will be held.
    Underscoring the outpouring of public grief for a man who just two years ago was widely vilified in the media, the funeral service will be broadcast live on SABC television and satellite subscription channel SuperSport.
    Thousands of people attended the funeral, including executive members of the United Cricket Board (UCB), who were initially told in a letter from the Cronje family they would not be welcome.
    Current South African captain Shaun Pollock, who flew in for the funeral from Britain, recalled his friendship with Cronje. He said that Cronje was "an outstanding leader, an accomplished cricketer and friend. But like so many of my team mates here today, I want to say thank you to Hansie for being so much more than just that," Pollock said.
    Shattered by the fall from grace of a national sporting hero who displayed dazzling skills on the pitch, Cronje was given strongly attacked at the height of the match-fixing scandal.
    But his tragic death at a young age has placed South Africa's notoriously fickle sports fans in a forgiving mood.
    Most media tributes to him have been gushing in their praise for the former sports hero.
    Cronje's widow, Bertha Cronje, pointed out the human qualities of Hansie Cronje. "Even though Hansie made a mistake, he was still the same Hansie, a kind and loving husband, a genuine friend and an honourable man. Over the last couple days I've come to the wonderful realisation that nobody forgot the special qualities that he had."
    Cronje was banned from professional cricket for life in October 2000 for his role in a match-fixing scandal. He was banned after admitting he had accepted around 130,000 U.S.
    dollars from bookmakers to influence the course of matches.
    Cronje made his test debut in 1992 against West Indies and was appointed South African captain two years later in a home series against New Zealand.
    In 1996, he led South Africa to a home victory against England as his team returned to world cricket after the end of apartheid.
    But the star's meteoric rise came to an abrupt halt in April 2000 when Indian police charged him with match fixing after a one-day series in March.
    A judicial commission was appointed to get to the bottom of the matter. Chaired by Edwin King, a retired judge, it became the most thorough investigation to date into cricket corruption.
    In all he played 68 tests, scoring 3,714 runs at an average of 36.41 and taking 43 wickets. He also took 114 wickets in his 188 one-day internationals, and scored 5,565 runs at an average of 38.64
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