JOHANNESBURG, July 11: Herschelle Gibbs and Nicky Boje are in doubt for South Africa’s one-day series in India in November due to concern that they could be detained as part of the Indian police’s investigation into cricket match-fixing dating back to 2000. The two players pulled out of South Africa’s tour to India last year after Indian police refused to give any guarantees that they would not be detained for questioning after they were named in secret tape recordings during South Africa’s 2000 tour that exposed captain Hansie Cronje as being involved in match-fixing.

United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB) chief executive Gerald Majola said in a statement released on Monday that “a letter had been sent to the SA High Commission in New Delhi to assist it (the UCB) to get written guarantees from the Indian police authorities that Nicky Boje and Herschelle Gibbs will not be detained for questioning regarding alleged match-fixing if they tour with the SA team in November”.

Majola said the SA High Commission had presented a similar request to Indian police last year before the two-test tour and there were also representations from the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The police refused to give any guarantees and Gibbs and Boje decided to stay at home.

Majola pointed out that the players had previously replied to a questionnaire from the Indian police and said the matter was dealt with by the King Commission in 2001.

Gibbs was suspended for six months and fined 60,000 Rands ($8,770) after he admitted accepting money from Cronje to under-perform during the 2000 Indian tour.

Boje has denied any role in match-fixing.

“As soon as we have an answer from the Indian police, it will be up to the players to decide whether they are available for selection,” Majola said.

South Africa will be in India from November 14-30, with five one-day internationals being played.—AFP