Gibbs offers a defensive bat to Indian Police

By John Cheeran
The movers and shakers in Indian cricket would have heaved a sigh of relief as South African
cricketer Herschelle Gibbs did not name any Indians to have involved in the match-fixing scandal that erupted in 2000.
Delhi Police Joint Commissioner of Police, Ranjit Narayan who headed the team of interrogators, said that Gibbs confessed to have received the offer twice from late captain Hansie Cronje and was part of the conspiracy.
Narayan said Gibbs was asked to "under-perform in return of certain amount of money".
"Gibbs accepted receiving the offer and agreed he was involved in the conspiracy.... But he said he was only following what his captain had asked him to do."
Gibbs, a player renowned for taking chances at the batting crease, has defended against Delhi Police pretty well.
Among the things that South African opener said two things are important.
Yes, he received offers of money to under-perform. But he has not said that he accepted the offer, or in other words, received the money.
And now the offer came from the then skipper Hansie Cronje. Gibbs has opened up the escape route by saying that "he was only following what his captain asked him to do."
What an obedient player Gibbs has been!
Gibbs was named by Cronje along with Nicky Boje and Pieter Strydon as the players who had agreed to underperform in a tie in India.
The Delhi Police had arrested three persons -- South Delhi-based businessman Rajesh Kalra, late music baron Gulshan Kumar's son Kishan Kumar and Sunil Dhara -- in the case but they were all released on bail later.
The Police are yet to arrest Sanjeev Chawla, the key accused and believed to be hiding in England.