SA cricket enthusiasts condemn King's proposal

SA cricket enthusiasts condemn King's proposal

DURBAN, DEC 18: South African cricket enthusiasts and commentators have strongly condemned the King Commission's proposals that the telephone numbers and E-mails of players and officials be monitored to fight match-fixing practices. Justice Edwin King, probing corruption in South African cricket, in his second report submitted to President Thabo Mbeki, had said the United Cricket Board (UCB) should monitor all players' phone calls and E-mail messages because ``up to now access to players has been too free and easy.'' He said in the 19-page report that ``only cellular telephones issued to players by the UCB should be allowed and details of calls made and received should be available so as to allow monitoring by the UCB.'' He added that ``possession of an unauthorised mobile telephone should be a punishable offence.''

``While we need measures to combat match-fixing, we cannot isolate the players from the public,'' Patel said.

``Can you imagine what will happen if we isolate Jonty Rhodes from the public?

``We need cricket to be an open game and not some kind of a secret report,'' he said.

Peter Davis, Editor of Sunday Tribune, said in an editorial on Sunday that the mindset behind the proposals should be tested.

``These are cricketers, for goodness sake, not international assassins or spies or mafia money launderers,'' he said.

``That certain cricketers took money, apparently to fix matches, is sad for the credibility of the game and the fact that millions who watch via television are conned by their heroes -- but it is only a game.

``That a High Court judge should suggest these sportsmen should lose their fundamental human rights because they may, in the future, again fall to the temptation of easy moeny shows a disregard for the rights of the individual -- a trait we hope other judges will eschew.''

Davis said there must be certain ways to discipline disreputable sportspersons without resorting to seemingly ``James Bond-style tactics''.

``The trouble is sport has become a contest to win at any cost. Most of us have forgotten what it is really about -- to play the game to the best of one's ability, to foster and enjoy its spirit and to ensure fair play at all times,'' he said.