Wednesday, December 5, 2007

India police ask to question Boje


Former South Africa all-rounder Nicky Boje has been summoned for questioning by Indian police over a match-fixing case seven years ago.

Boje has returned to India for the first time since the allegations surfaced and is playing for the rebel India Cricket League.

A Delhi police spokesman said: "We have sent a notice asking Boje to make himself available for questioning."

He was named in a police investigation into cricket corruption in 2000.

It followed an admission from the late South Africa captain Hansie Cronje that he had taken money to influence matches.

Indian police charged Cronje, Boje, Herschelle Gibbs and Piet Strydom with "cheating, fraud and criminal conspiracy relating to match fixing and betting" on the basis of taped telephone conversations between Cronje and a bookmaker.

"Nicky Boje was innocent. I know that for a fact. I can read people."
Dr Ali Bacher

And fearing arrest, Boje and Gibbs each missed two subsequent tours to India.

Gibbs, 32, who accepted an offer of money from Cronje to under-perform, served a six-month suspension imposed by his own board and was finally interviewd by police in India in September 2006.

However, Boje was let off by his national board because there was no evidence linking him to match-fixing and he has always denied any involvement.

This is the first time he will be questioned over the affair, but he was defended by former South Africa cricket chief Dr Ali Bacher last year: "Nicky Boje was innocent. I know that for a fact. I can read people."

Boje retired from international cricket last year after 43 Test matches and 115 one-day internationals.

Delhi police say the investigation is still open.

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