04 November 2004	Thursday	20 Ramazan 1425

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 3: South African vice captain Nicky Boje became the second casualty in an Indian police investigation into alleged match-fixing four years ago, announcing Wednesday his withdrawal from the cricket team's upcoming tour to India.

Ace batsman Herschelle Gibbs earlier said he too was unavailable to tour after being implicated in the 2000 scandal which saw former South African captain Hansie Cronje being banned for life from the sport before tragically dying in a plane crash in 2002.

"Nicky Boje today withdrew from the South African cricket team to tour India next week after attempting in vain to get a written assurance from the Delhi police that he would not be arrested," said team spokesman Gerald de Kock.

Boje's decision came in the wake of a meeting between South Africa's chief envoy Desmond Nxiweni and Delhi Police Commissioner K.K. Paul on Wednesday, in which Nxiweni sought assurances that the cricketer would not be detained.

Indian police are probing the alleged involvement of both Gibbs and Boje in the scandal, with both cricketers having received questionnaires which they have been asked to complete.

Both men said they feared arrest by the Indian police if they were to set foot in the country.

Gibbs was slapped with a six-month ban from international cricket while Cronje got a life ban after tearfully admitting before a commission headed by South African judge Edwin King that he took money from bookmakers and paid some players, including Gibbs, to underperform dating back to March-April 2000.

Boje was cleared by the commission, but said Wednesday he would not be going to India in the place of dropped vice captain Mark Boucher, who has been under-performing of late.-AFP