Former South African captain Hansie Cronje topped the list. He admitted that he joined the fixed games by contacting Indian bookmakers. Cronje’s most infamous catch came in the fatal fifth Test against England at Centurion Park in 2000. The match was badly affected by the rain, but Cronje said the teams had to do their best to avoid a draw.
He negotiated with England captain Nasser Hussain to deprive both teams of an innings, leaving the tourists with a run chase on the final day, which they completed. England were unaware, but Cronje had prepared a conclusion.
Agnew: “It was unbelievable. It came out by accident. The Delhi police were trying to tap a bookie’s phone and they happened to tap Hansie Cronje’s phone. Thankfully they did because hopefully now it’s harder for a player to manipulate cricket matches.”
Zaltzman: “At the time, we all thought it was good. Cronje’s generous deal created a contest on the last day of the dead rubber. We didn’t understand what the crime was until the real story came out. The shock of the story deserves its place in this countdown.”
Finn: “A lot of it was a catalyst for a necessary change in cricket, and that was the biggest one.”