Alviro Petersen banned for two years by Cricket South Africa

12/22/2016

Alviro Petersen has been handed a two-year ban by Cricket South Africa after the former opening batsman accepted that he had breached the anti-corruption code on several occasions. Petersen is the second high-profile cricketer to be banned by CSA after Hansie Cronje.

Petersen agreed to a plea bargain with the CSA and accepted breaking several of the board’s anti-corruption codes. He is the sixth player to be banned for match-fixing that has already seen Gulam Bodi, who attempted to fix a match in the 2014/15 season of the South African domestic T20 tournament, out for 20 years.

Petersen, who had played in 36 Tests and 21 ODIs for South Africa, has accepted four charges of failing to disclose details of an approach to engage in corrupt conduct, four charges of failing to disclose full details of evidence involving another player, four charges of failing to provide accurate and complete information to investigators, and one charge of concealing and destroying information that was relevant to the investigation.

The CSA has, however, withdrawn charges of attempting to fix matches against him.

"I would like to apologise to my family, friends, the public who are fans of the game of cricket, my team-mates, Gauteng cricket, Lions cricket and especially to Cricket South Africa for my actions,” he said in a statement.

"At the time that the meetings with Bodi and the fixers happened, I never had any intention of fixing matches or taking money.

"I now deeply regret having participated in these meetings and not to have immediately reported them to the authorities as I am obliged to do. I understand that I need to take personal responsibility for my actions and I accept the punishment that CSA has imposed on me.

"I hope that other players will learn from my experience and be better prepared if they find themselves in the situation that I was in.”