A South African businessman of Indian origin, having links with some leading Indian cricketers, was on Thursday named as the intermediary between Hansie Cronje and London-based Indian, Sanjiv Chawla.
A Johannesburg newspaper, The Star, claimed on Thursday the businessman was Hameed `Banjo' Cassim, having a business called Sweet Junction in the Fordburg area of Johannesburg.
The newspaper alleged Cassim ``is the South African who approached Cronje during the recent series between Zimbabwe, England and South Africa''.
Sources,'' said the newspaper,introduced Cronje to Sanjiv Chawla, the London businessman whom the Indian police say they have on tape talking to Cronje.''
The paper said Cassim had links with Mohammad Azharuddin and another former India captain, Sachin Tendulkar.
Although the newspaper said that it had contacted Azharuddin at Bangalore on Wednesday night and that the Indian player had confirmed he and several other international players knew Cassim, Azharuddin denied having spoken to the newspaper.
Contacted in Bangalore, where he is leading Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy semi-final, an angry Azharuddin snapped: ``I have not spoken to anybody.'' He had been asked whether he had spoken to The Star newspaper on Wednesday.
Asked if he knew Cassim, Azharuddin responded: ``I met so many people in South Africa.''
The newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying Cronje was a very good friend of Cassim and several other South African, Indian and Pakistani cricketers had visited his shop.
When contacted by the newspaper, Cassim is reported to have said: ``I can't talk to you. I don't want to comment on this matter.''
Azharuddin had only a few days back stated that the Chandrachud inquiry committee that went into allegations of betting and match-fixing in Indian cricket in 1997, after claims by former all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar, had absolved the players of any wrongdoing.
``... A judicial inquiry by justice Y V Chandrachud was conducted and his report is already on record,'' he had said.
A former India player, who has toured South Africa, said Cassim was known to many players as he used to arrange Indian food for the Indian team.
Sachin Tendulkar, the former Indian captain who was also mentioned by the newspaper as one of the two Indian players with ``links'' with Hameed Cassim apart from other names, also reacted angrily.
Tendulkar, when contacted in Mumbai, said all he knew about Cassim was that he used to organise Indian food for vegetarians in the team during their tour of South Africa.
``I would prefer to be away from all this. If someone says he has met me and has photographed himself with me, it does not mean he is a great pal of mine,'' Tendulkar said.
``He has organised Indian food for the team, especially for the vegetarians. That's all my relationship with him. I have always kept away from all such things. I stay away from such people. I would like to take care of making runs and enjoying my cricket.
``If this is the case, I would even cut off from talking casually to such people,'' he added.
