Jonty Rhodes, a former batsman for South Africa, has provided some fascinating insights into the events that transpired in the life of Hansie Cronje, a former captain of the South African cricket team after Cronje was found guilty of the infamous match-fixing scandal.
Cronje Had His Life’s Work Taken Away From Him
In the aftermath of Hansie Cronje's conviction in the infamous match-fixing scandal, Jonty Rhodes has provided some fascinating insights into the events that transpired in Hansie Cronje's life. Cronje's match-fixing activities were brought to light in April of the year 2000 when it was discovered that he had been having conversations with an Indian bookie. He was consequently barred from playing cricket for the rest of his life. Despite Cronje's efforts to challenge the decision, it was ultimately dismissed. Rhodes, who was representing South Africa at the time, revealed that he had a positive relationship with Cronje. Cronje was the country representing South Africa. On the other hand, he mentioned that Hansie was embarrassed by his behaviour.
"The entire scandal surrounding match-fixing came as a complete surprise to everyone. We were not able to have a complete understanding of the complexities. The difficulty level was quite high. However, the truly remarkable aspect was... I had the opportunity to spend a considerable amount of time with Hansie following that. In spite of the fact that I had stopped participating in Test matches, and he had been banned, he insisted, ‘Jonty... you can't call it quits.’ You only have one opportunity left. I am able to empathise with the feeling of having something taken away from you."
The Changes Made Themselves Felt Almost Immediately
According to Rhodes, Hansie was extremely embarrassed by his actions, in contrast to other players who were accused of match-fixing and were able to move on without much of a consequence attached to them.
"During the initial few months, he experienced an increase in his body mass. He chose to isolate himself. Almost never did he leave the confines of his home. However, despite the fact that a few of his closest friends would pay him a visit at his home on occasion, he would never go out into the public eye because of the overwhelming amount of distress he was experiencing. Clearly, he was feeling genuine regret. Because of his actions, he was extremely troubled. He seemed to be in the worst state of health that I had ever seen at any point in time during the course of an entire year. He was able to reclaim ownership of it after some time had passed. A position with a company that specialises in construction equipment was offered to him, and he accepted it. Having the opportunity to observe his remarkable progress in reclaiming his life was truly remarkable. He had the potential to serve as a remarkable role model for young people, demonstrating how one can transform their life for the better, and I felt quite disheartened because I truly believed that he had the potential to deliver on that potential."
It Was Clear a Week Before the Tragedy
At the tender age of 32, Cronje was tragically taken from this world on June 1, 2002, when she was involved in a terrible plane accident. One of the contributions that Upton made to the conversation was bringing up his unsettling last interaction with Cronje, which took place just one week before the passing of the former South Africa captain.
"Hansie would periodically reassure me that he is doing well and that he is making progress, but each time he would end the call, I couldn't help but question the integrity of his statements. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, despite the fact that he insisted that everything was fine. Additionally, on a day that would prove to be fateful, I accidentally called him, but we only had a brief conversation. Without fail, I will never forget what he said. ‘I sincerely believe that I have finished a full cycle, and I am prepared to move forward,’ he said in his statement. ‘I am prepared to move forward.’ I had the impression that he had never before expressed such sentiments, but I sensed that he had recently discovered a newfound willingness to move forward. In addition, after a week had passed, he did, in fact, make progress."