SA middleman agrees to help probe panel

Indian cricket coach Kapil Dev, when contacted in the US, said he knew Cassim. "He used to bring food for Indian team players when we went there in 1991-92," he told PTI.

"Yes. I know him. But so do all the other Indian players. He used to bring food for us in South Africa. But that does not mean I have any links with him," Azharuddin was quoted today as saying by a newspaper.

"I really do not know how to react to these news items…It is very unfair to me," he said in Bangalore.

Cassim informed the South African Cricket Board through his lawyers that he would offer his full cooperation to the commission of judicial inquiry being set up, but refused to answer any queries from the media.

South African Sports Minister Ngconde Balfour announced that the probe into the Cronje affair "would also investigate any other instances of dishonesty in South African cricket".

The inquiry panel, to be appointed by President Thabo Mbeki, was expected to submit its report by May end, he said.

Balfour said the inquiry would be instituted soon "to restore the dignity of South African sport and go into the issues that have emerged following the investigations launched by the Delhi police.

UCB managing director Ali Bacher has said he firmly believed no other South African player had been involved in betting or match-fixing. Bacher said he had spoken to Cronje who had assured him that no other player was involved.

Delhi police have registered a case against Cronje, teammates Pieter Strydom, Herschelle Gibbs, Nicky Boje and Henry Williams and two Indian businessmen in the scandal.

The South African media has reported that Cronje could face criminal charges under the foreign exchange regulations for possessing foreign currency.

Cronje, who admitted to taking money from an Indian bookie during the tri-series against Zimbabwe and England in February, handed over $8,200 purported to be the payoff to the South African Reserve Bank through his lawyers.

Bruce Brand, head of the Reserve Bank’s exchange control department, has been quoted in the local media as saying it was illegal for South Africans to possess foreign currency unless they were about to travel abroad or had just returned.

All foreign exchange had to be surrendered within seven days of return from a trip or receipt from abroad, Brand was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile in New Delhi, Bollywood actor Kishan Kumar, who is in the thick of controversy over the match-fixing, was today shifted to a private hospital here.

Kumar was admitted to the ICU of Apollo Hospital at 1300 hrs after being discharged from Kailash Hospital in neighbouring Noida where he was admitted since April 7.

Though Crime Branch sleuths accompanied Kumar while he was being shifted to Apollo, he has not been arrested, a Crime Branch official told PTI at the hospital.

"We merely accompanied him while he (Kishan Kumar) was being shifted to Apollo as advised by Kailash Hospital authorities," he said.

Kailash Hospital authorities while discharging him advised that he may be taken to a government hospital like AIIMS where he can get better cardiac treatment.

The name of Kumar figured in the disclosure made by Rajesh Kalra, the only accused arrested in connection with the match-fixing case involving Cronje and four others.

Cardiac specialist Dr Raman Puri, who conducted the preliminary examination on Kumar, told reporters that "since Kumar was complaining of chest pain extensive tests will be conducted before he is declared fit for questioning."

"A team of doctors will be conducting a series of tests before arriving at a decision," he said.

Asked whether Kumar’s problem could be psychological, Dr Puri said "we can’t take any chance. We will first conduct a thorough examination and if we do not find anything then he will be referred to a psychiatrist."

On a specific question whether the doctors would permit Kumar’s questioning by Crime Branch personnel in the hospital, Dr Puri merely said "let us first examine him properly."

Earlier, there was high drama while Kumar was being shifted to Apollo from Kailash Hospital as a large number of television crew and reporters chased his ambulance all the way to the hospital.

Minutes after he was admitted to Apollo, Bhushan Kumar, Kumar’s nephew and son of music baron Gulshan Kumar along with lawyers reached the hospital and had a meeting with the doctors.

Meanwhile, some of the Crime Branch teams sent to Mumbai, Bangalore, Kochi and Baroda are likely to return late tonight after completing their investigation at that end, police sources said.