Cronje challenges corruption claim

Minister Ngconde Balfour reads out Cronje's statement

Sacked South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje has challenged a statement issued by the country's cricket board that he received up to $15,000 to forecast scores.

Ali Bacher, managing director of the United Cricket Board of South Africa, said Cronje had admitted receiving the money during a limited overs series with Zimbabwe and England in January.

Dr Bacher said Cronje had accepted between $10,000 and $15,000 from a local South African and an Indian bookmaker based in London during the series.

Let me say unequivocally that South African cricket is shattered and that both the UCB and the Government have been deceived

Dr Ali Bacher

The money, he said, had been taken home but not deposited.

Asked at the news conference what details Cronje had been asked for by the bookmaker, Bacher said he understood it was "providing information and forecasting".

Cronje had admitted earlier on Tuesday that he had not been "entirely honest" in his denial of match-fixing, and had been sacked as skipper of the national side.

But, shortly after Dr Bacher's statement, the disgraced cricketer made known his version of events through Sports Minister Ngconde Balfour.

Cronje said: "I never received any financial rewards".

Mr Balfour, speaking alongside a downcast Cronje, said the player had however confirmed that he had lied "about trying to influence matches".

Cronje, who Balfour said was feeling "very, very down", did not answer any questions, on the minister's advice.

Hansie Cronje denies financial gain

At the news conference, Dr Bacher said Cronje maintained that he had not been party to match fixing and that the other three players implicated, Herschelle Gibbs, Nicky Boje and Pieter Strydom, were innocent of the charges.

He said the board had asked the South African Government to set up an urgent inquiry into the allegations of match fixing.

"Let me say unequivocally that South African cricket is shattered and that both the (cricket board) and the government have been deceived."

Police investigation

Cronje and the three other South African players are already being investigated by Indian police for allegedly fixing the one-day series against India, which India won 3-2.

Dr Bacher said Cronje denied throwing the one-day series against India, which India won 3-2.

But he added: "We do have a crisis on our hands in South African cricket - we cannot escape that reality.

"We asked all the South African players if they had been involved in match-fixing... all of them denied any involvement.

Bacher: SA cricket shattered

"In conclusion, we said to them that we had to move away from this crisis."

Dr Bacher insisted that the door had not yet closed on Cronje's international career, but said his contract was due for renewal in May and at this stage it looked unlikely he would get another one.

He added: "We must allow the process to go forward, there will be an independent inquiry.

"I think to be fair to Hansie let's complete this process and see what the findings are," he added.

Cronje did not attend the news conference in Durban.

The captaincy of the South African team has been taken over by current vice-captain Shaun Pollock.

Veteran all-rounder Dave Callaghan was being flown into Durban to replace Cronje in the squad to face Australia in a one-day series starting on Wednesday.