Now, SA threatens to cancel India tour

[Pradeep]

For different reasons though...

Here's the link:

http://usa.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2004/SEP/054273_RSA_23SEP2004.html

 

[Richard]

I really, really do hope that the silly pursuing of a 4-year-old agenda doesn't stop a vital tour.

 

[Waughney]

All these boycotts, is cricket facing a crisis?

 

[aussie_beater]

This is absolute madness. How can the cricket board grant legal immunity on behalf of the cops ? This is a very unreasonable demand by Nicky Boje and Gibbs and if the SA board and other players back them, its going to be one hell of a mess.

 

[shaka]

I guess the logic is that both Boje and Gibbs are vital members of the team, and if they were unable to play, then they might not take them to India in those circumstances, especially if the two believe that they have given as much information as they know.

At least the team are showing unity among the entire squad in the chance of boycotting the tour to India, has not been so for a while.

 

[Craig]

I don't see what Boje has to do with it, he was never involved in anyway, Cronje just used his name as a prawn to get his deal to go ahead.

 

[aussie_beater]

whatever it is, these guys have no right to ask for such immunity from judicial and normal police work. they are as much liable to cooperate in any police investigation on any matter as everyone else and if the cops were to have a need to question them, they should be able to......although i think that the Delhi police won't even bother about it, but that's a different matter.

 

[Craig]

Would there be much point in persuing it anyway?

I think 4 years on, must people are over it, and I doubt they aren't going to find anything new, considering Cronje is now dead, and Azharduddin (sp) is now banned for life.

 

[Pradeep]

whatever it is, these guys have no right to ask for such immunity from judicial and normal police work. they are as much liable to cooperate in any police investigation on any matter as everyone else and if the cops were to have a need to question them, they should be able to......although i think that the Delhi police won't even bother about it, but that's a different matter.

The normal police work can go ahead but it cannot happen when they're in there for cricket. I would prefer if it happened as a completely different thread not interjecting the tour. Basically, that's all they're asking for, and I think that's justified.

 

[FRAZ]

Trust me this happens when Multi National companies are given too much of liberty to do what ever they want in a certain country . Damn you "money" . I dont think Dalmiya is involved in this case . There is one more prob in subcontinent is the lengthy court procedures . These courts keep on sleeping for 50 years before giving a decision .......

 

[luckyeddie]

I don't see what Boje has to do with it, he was never involved in anyway, Cronje just used his name as a prawn to get his deal to go ahead.

Mmmmmm, prawns.

Seriously, this has rumbled on since Hansiegate and it's going to go on for a lot longer in the future - the 'wheels of justice turning slowly' - that sort of stuff.

This is a major obstacle to the tour going ahead, and my biggest fear is that any assurances the pair are given might be worth little or nothing.

Picture Gibbs on 99 in front of 20,000 spectators when on to the field strolls an ambitious young Detective Inspector who always wanted to go be in Bollywood anyway, God knows he has the talent; it's not his fault that his uncle paid for him to go to Police College.

Gibbs is read his rights then ******ed from the field. Far-fetched? Of course - but a couple of the flatcaps I know would jump at the chance.

 

[Deja moo]

The normal police work can go ahead but it cannot happen when they're in there for cricket. I would prefer if it happened as a completely different thread not interjecting the tour. Basically, that's all they're asking for, and I think that's justified.

LOL .

The Law could'nt care less if there was a cricket tour on or not (and rightly so, IMO). Seems irrational for Gibbs/ Boje to be granted immunity just because they want to play cricket .

And regarding the entire team willing to back out of the tour , I'll just say that there are times when a team needs to stick together , and there are times when it shouldnt .Gibbs and Boje must have done something wrong for which they might be questioned ( or maybe those are just rumours ). Anyway the innocent need not fear it .The rest of the team sticking with them is stupid.

 

[Pradeep]

LOL .

The Law could'nt care less if there was a cricket tour on or not (and rightly so, IMO). Seems irrational for Gibbs/ Boje to be granted immunity just because they want to play cricket .

Exactly my point. You wouldn't want to wait for them to come all the way for a cricket tour, to be questioned. What if there never was a tour? Wouldn't you want 1. the tour, 2. the questioning, to be two different things?

 

[Deja moo]

Exactly my point. You wouldn't want to wait for them to come all the way for a cricket tour, to be questioned. What if there never was a tour? Wouldn't you want 1. the tour, 2. the questioning, to be two different things?

But the tour is the only opportunity for the police to question them, isnt it ? Iam not sure of two things:

1) If there is an extradition treaty between India and SA ?

2) if the match fixing scandal is a serious enough offence to warrant extradition of players ?

My understanding is that while there are no laws in India regarding underperformance of players for monetary reasons , there are laws which deem betting on sports illegal.

Hence , what I think is that Gibbs and Boje might be questioned about the identity of the book makers , but cannot be arrested for match fixing themselves (since, as I mentioned ,there are no laws covering conduct of players)...

That there are no laws pertaining to player conduct is demonstrated by the way Azhar and Jadeja were handled for their roles.....They were not prosecuted by Indian law , but by a commission set up by the BCCI , the legality of which has been challenged by the players in court .

 

[aussie_beater]

The normal police work can go ahead but it cannot happen when they're in there for cricket. I would prefer if it happened as a completely different thread not interjecting the tour. Basically, that's all they're asking for, and I think that's justified.

Police work is not bound by any cricket.Does police work take into account a person's personal issues...like "I gotta work and make money now, talk to me later" type attitude. That's never the case and never should be. Anyway, it is very unlikely that the Delhi police will do anything. But the point is that it is highly unethical for these two players to claim such immunity, and for all the rest of the team to back these two guys.

 

[Jono]

LOL! What do they want? The Indian Cricket Board to grand immunity, and override police authority? :-/

The whole situation is ridiculous.

LOL @ lucky

 

[Richard]

Make no mistake, there's no grounds on which Gibbs or Boje should be able to claim immunity from arrest.
But equally it's ludicrous for the police to pursue a 4-year-old agenda that has long been laid to rest.

 

[aussie_beater]

Actually Delhi police never got a chance to make their case. The CBI in India took over the case and went through the special investigation route in the form of a one man panel(Madhavan) based on which the BCCI took its actions in banning Azhar and others. The Delhi Police case which was the only criminal case in the match fixing scandal in which real indictments were filed, got shortchanged by this and on top of that, unfortunately Cronje died. Delhi police never questioned any of the people indicted in their case except Rajesh Kalra. Cronje, Boje and Strydom were never questioned. Given the vagaries of international extradition in the absence of a extradition treaty between India and SA, it was practically impossible for Delhi Police to pursue their case and so the years just rolled by. So its logical if they think that their only chance at questioning these people is when they know about the physical presence of these folks within their jurisdiction, although I think they won't waste their resources on this because its not going to take their case anywhere.