Lonwabo Tsotsobe handed eight-year ban

 

New Delhi: Cricket South Africa on Tuesday handed former world no.1 pacer Lonwabo Tsotsobe with eight-year ban, following his involvement in match fixing scandal during RAM SLAM T20 in 2015

Tsotsobe was suspended from playing, coaching or otherwise since April 2017 being involved in any capacity in any match under CSA's jurisdiction or that of the ICC or any other ICC member.

The charges against Tsotsobe followed lengthy investigation, which started around October 2015 by CSA's Anti-Corruption Unit and that resulted in bans of Gulam Bodi, Jean Symes, Pumi Matshikwe, Ethy Mbhalati, Thami Tsolekile and Alviro Petersen for offences under the Code relating to the local 2015 RAM SLAM T20 Challenge Series.

Among other offences, the 33-year-old Tsotsobe has been charged with contriving to fix or otherwise improperly influence the result of the match or matches in the T20Series.

Tsotsobe was seeking to accept, accepted or agreed to accept a bribe or reward to fix or contrive to fix or influence improperly a match or matches.

The investigation was initiated after allegations that India-born Bodi was acting as an intermediary for international betting syndicates, approaching certain players with a view of engaging in fixing activities during the competition.

In January 2016, CSA imposed a 20-year ban on Bodi after he admitted to charges of contriving or attempting to fix matches in the series, allegedly at the behest of the Indian bookmakers.

CSA instituted its "zero" tolerance anti-corruption code in the wake of the 2000 scandal involving now deceased captain Hansie Cronje and Indian bookmakers