(On October 12 this year, South African player Herschelle Gibbs told Delhi police that he knew “Banjo” Cassim and had met him during a series in Sharjah, chief investigator for the match-fixing scandal, Ranjit Narayan, told The Indian Express in New Delhi today. But he does not recall if the police have done anything to get to Cassim since 2000, he said.)

Cassim quickly steers the subject to his “friends” in Indian cricket. “I have great respect for Kapil Dev. Paaji is my hero. How is Ajay Jadeja? He was a good friend. And Mohammed Azharuddin? He is a great guy, it’s unfortunate that everybody turned on him. I knew Ali Irani (former physio) very well too, I hope he is fine,” says Cassim.

But it is when he talks about Hansie that Banjo’s voice starts to falter. “He was a good man, but they made him the scapegoat. The man behind his downfall was Ali Bacher (former head of the South African cricket board). In fact, Hansie’s family invited me for his funeral,” says Cassim, father of three.

Hansie, who was handed a life-ban — like Azharuddin — for his alleged involvement in the match-fixing saga, was killed in an aircrash two years ago after the Kings Commission had wound up its hearings on the case. Cassim had told the Commission that he had been shocked to see Cronje accept an envelope containing money from a bookmaker in a Durban hotel room in January, 2000.

Cassim claims he hasn’t watched the current one-day series between India and South Africa, but adds that he was at the Wanderers for the Twenty20 match on Friday. It’s a claim that’s turned on its head later by Indian team sources who say Cassim was “rebuffed strongly” twice after he tried to offer “any help” especially in providing Indian food, during the first tour game in Benoni and at Sunday’s game in Centurion.

... contd.