No amnesty for Gibbs, Boje in India

NEW DELHI – South African cricketers Herschelle Gibbs and Nicky Boje will not be offered an amnesty from police investigations into match-fixing if they tour India for a one-day series in November, a sports ministry official said yesterday.

Delhi Police had charged Gibbs and Boje, along with the then South African captain Hansie Cronje, with match-fixing and dealing with illegal bookmakers during a tour of India in 2000. Cronje later admitted accepting money from bookmakers and was banned from the game for life, while Gibbs served a six-month ban imposed by South African cricket authorities.Delhi police have insisted that Cronje’s death in a plane crash in 2002 did not close the case and still want to question Gibbs and Boje.They did not join South Africa’s two-test tour of India last year for fear of arrest.And media reports in South Africa say they may not take part in the five-match one-day series in India in November.Indian sports ministry official S.Krishnan said the New Delhi government could not give a blanket assurance that Gibbs and Boje would not be investigated if they landed in India.-Nampa-AFPCronje later admitted accepting money from bookmakers and was banned from the game for life, while Gibbs served a six-month ban imposed by South African cricket authorities.Delhi police have insisted that Cronje’s death in a plane crash in 2002 did not close the case and still want to question Gibbs and Boje.They did not join South Africa’s two-test tour of India last year for fear of arrest.And media reports in South Africa say they may not take part in the five-match one-day series in India in November.Indian sports ministry official S.Krishnan said the New Delhi government could not give a blanket assurance that Gibbs and Boje would not be investigated if they landed in India.-Nampa-AFP