Colombo - Frans Cronje, the brother of Hansie Cronje, made a surprise appearance at the South African cricket team's practice here on Tuesday.
Few would have expected a member of the Cronje family to attend a gathering of the Proteas side again after so much hurt and scorn had been poured on the late national captain when he admitted to accepting money from bookmakers to influence match results around the world.
Hansie Cronje was one of the most successful cricket captains produced by South Africa. He played 68 tests (53 of them as captain) and also represented his country in 188 one-day internationals.
Frans Cronje is a former Border and Free State cricketer, who is a qualified physiotherapist and who has been into sports photography for a number of years.
He is in Sri Lanka interviewing a number of international cricketers. "I'm here doing a documentary on international players who have become or have been staunch Christians. I'm doing a video on a host of players from the various nations and thought that this was the best place to get hold of them as they prepare for the ICC Champions Trophy."
He said he will be putting the video out as soon as his "mission" is accomplished and also revealed that he was recording the Bible on to a CD.
"It's going to be hard work but I think it's going to be worth my while because I believe I have had a calling from God.
"I'm a physiotherapist by profession but have not really practised it for a number of years. I was also a cricket coach for a short while with Natal. But then the day came when I turned towards my creator," he said.
He was seen at the players' hotel on Tuesdat interviewing Jonty Rhodes, a devout Christian. From the West Indies, Cronje was hoping to talk to Carl Hooper, Vasbert Drakes and Ridley Jacobs.