Ali Bacher said on Tuesday morning
that he would definitely be at Hansie Cronje's funeral in Bloemfontein on Wednesday,
United Cricket Board president Gerald Majola will also be there - although he says he is aware of the veiled threats and the lawyer's letter asking the UCB and its executives not to attend.
"I am going to the funeral to pay my last respects. I owe it to him (Hansie). If anything happens, it happens."
The letter sent to the UCB, from a Bloemfontein-based firm of attorneys, Israel and Sackstein, was addressed to Majola and purported to be acting on behalf of Cronje's widow and family.
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The letter requests that the entire UCB executive and its affiliates stay away from Cronje's funeral.
The lawyer, Leslie Sackstein, said on Tuesday: "It was just a request.
"The Cronje family would prefer it if members of the UCB did not attend Hansie's funeral but they would not physically stop anyone from coming.
"They just think it would be inappropriate for them to be there.
"It's a free country and it's their business, but with the hammering they gave Hansie and making him out to be a pariah and being banned and condemned by them, it seems the height of hypocrisy that they would now want to attend his funeral."
Speaking to The Star this morning, Sackstein said he had just spoken to Cronje's father, Ewie, and he "confirmed that he and his son Frans gave me the mandate to send the letter to the UCB".
He also confirmed that the first call Hansie's father had received this morning was from Bacher.
Sackstein said the sentiments in Bloemfontein were very negative towards the UCB.
"People are angry," he said.
Bacher told The Star this morning that he would also "definitely" be attending Cronje's funeral.
"I spoke to Ewie (Cronje's father) this morning and asked what this was all about. He said to me 'please come'. So I'm going."
He was not willing to comment further.
UCB spokesperson Bronwyn Wilkinson said that the Cronje family, via a family spokesperson, had given the UCB its assurances that anyone was welcome to attend Cronje's funeral.
On Monday, after news of the lawyers' letter broke, a spokesperson from Louise Klopper Communications, the public relations company handling the funeral, denied the family had made such a request.
"We have heard about the letter and believe it to be totally false, and it was certainly not authorised by Hansie's family.
"To do such a thing would be completely childish in the light of such a tragedy."
It seems the role of peacemaker was played by Bertha, Cronje's widow. She intervened on Monday to ensure anyone could attend the funeral.
On SAfm radio this morning, Ewie Cronje spoke about the letter asking the UCB not to attend in the light of recent comments by Bacher.
However, when the family consulted Bertha she said it should be made clear that everyone was welcome to the funeral, he said.
The plane in which Cronje died was making a regular mail flight between Johannesburg and George. Michael Goodwin, general manager for AirQuarius, the aircraft's operators, said the flights had been going on for six months.
The funeral service will take place at 2pm at Grey College in Bloemfontein on Wednesday. It will be broadcast live on SuperSport 1 from 1.55pm to 3pm. - Staff Reporters and Sapa
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