Disgraced South African cricketer Hansie Cronje, 32,was killed when a light plane in which he was a passenger crashed into amountain in the far south of the country, Sports Ministry spokesman GrahamAbrahams said in Johannesburg.
"We have heard the news, we are still trying torecover," Abrahams told the SAPA news agency. "It's a shock."Rescue workers at the scene confirmed that Cronje and the two crew of the HawkerSiddley 748 were dead.
Cronje, who was captain of the national team, andregarded as a brilliant cricketer, was forced out of the side after thematch-fixing scandal in 2000.
He received a life ban from the United Cricket Board ofSouth Africa after admitting before a commission of inquiry that he had acceptedsome $100,000 from Indian bookmakers and offered other players money tounderperform, though he said he never threw a match.
His death brought an outpouring of tribute from SouthAfrican leaders and cricketers around the world.
"South Africa will mourn him. He was certainly oneof our most talented and well-known cricketers whose prowess inspired our youthto greater heights," said President Thabo Mbeki.
Said former President Nelson Mandela: "Here was ayoung man courageously and with dignity rebuilding his life after the setback hesuffered a little while ago."
The plane, which had taken off from the central city ofBloemfontein, crashed into the rugged Outeniqua range at a height of some 1,000metres near Cronje's home town of George.
Helicopters dropped members of the Mountain Club ofSouth Africa's rescue service above the site so they could abseil down a crag toget to the bodies.
Frans Cronje, a cousin, said the weather was bad as theplane tried to land at George around 6:45 am (10.15 IST) and that the pilot hadapparently decided to go round again.
South African cricket captain Shaun Pollock left thefield of an English county cricket match in shock this afternoon after hearingthat Cronje had been killed, his wife Trish told SAPA by telephone.
She said her husband was so devastated that he couldnot finish the game.
"He needs a few hours to recover," she said.
Bob Woolmer, South Africa's coach when Cronje wascaptain, said he was devastated by the news.
He told Sky Sports: "We had five great yearstogether. No one enjoys seeing a young man lose his life.
"Whatever he did pales into insignificance,"former England batsman Woolmer added.
"Hansie was thorough professional, kind, firm,generous, hard working -- his team would have walked up Table Mountain for him."
"He was one of the greatest cricket captains SouthAfrica has ever had." Former England all-rounder Ian Botham, also on SkySports, said: "It's very bad news. But people will forget the good thingshe did and he'll be remembered for the wrong reasons.
"It's very sad - this will be a tough time for hisfamily.
The match fixing case against Cronje will be closedfollowing his, a Delhi Police source said in New Delhi.
"Now that he is no more, the case against him willbe closed," the source said.
The source added, however, that their point had alreadybeen proved after Cronje admitted to have accepted money for fixing matches.
Proceedings against other accused in the case will goon, he said.
Agencies
