Johannesburg – Alviro Petersen has admitted he “played along” with others involved in last season’s match-fixing scandal that rocked the South Africa’s RamSlam T20 tournament but “never fixed a match‚ agreed to fix a match‚ or contrived to fix a match”.
In a statement from his lawyer Robin Twaddle, Petersen maintains that he was in “constant contact” with the investigative team that was established to probe the scandal which has led to lengthy bannings for Gulam Bodi - described as the “intermediary” between players and illegal betting syndicates – Thami Tsolekile, Pumelela Matshikwe, Jean Symes and Ethy Mbhalati.
On Saturday Cricket South Africa provisionally suspended Petersen from all involvement in cricket - coaching, playing or otherwise - and gave him 14 days to respond to a number of charges, claiming he breached the organisation’s anti-corruption code.
"Alviro acknowledges and admits that he played along with other persons involved in the scandal so as not to alert them to the fact that an investigation was under way. Alviro was in constant contact with the investigative team from the time he reported his knowledge of the scandal until Bodi was charged and he gave information that he had received of actual plans to influence matches to the investigative unit," Twaddle’s statement read.
"Whilst Alviro is willing to take responsibility for his actions over this period, although they were taken in good faith under the circumstances at the time, he could not reach agreement with CSA because he believes that the sanctions which would have been imposed were disproportionate to Alviro’s actions and do not take sufficient cognisance of the defenses and mitigating circumstances put forward by Alviro."
Petersen has consistently acknowledged that he was the whistle-blower who raised the alarm about the scandal last season.
“When Alviro first learnt at the end of July 2016 that charges were contemplated against him‚ he was surprised because he felt that he had cooperated with the investigative team as fully as he was required to,” the statement continued.
Among six charges leveled against Petersen by Cricket SA was that he “contrived to fix or improperly influence or being party to a scheme in which attempts would be made to fix or otherwise improperly influence a match or matches,” in last season’s RamSlam.
Petersen in his lawyer’s statement, strongly refuted that charge.
“Alviro has never fixed a match‚ agreed to fix a match‚ or contrived to fix a match‚ and he has never sought‚ accepted‚ agreed to accept‚ or received any bribe or other reward to fix or contrive to fix a match‚ to ensure for betting or other corrupt purposes the occurrence of a particular incident in a match or‚ for that matter‚ for any other unethical purpose.”
Petersen had trained with his franchise the Highveld Lions last week in anticipation of playing at the weekend in the opening round of the domestic T20 Challenge – the tournament that’s replaced the RamSlam but is without a sponsor this season. Cricket SA acted quickly upon seeing his name in the Lions’ squad, and then made the charges public on Saturday morning.