ICC offer assistance to Gibbs and Boje

The International Cricket Council has said it will help to ensure that the South African duo, Nicky Boje and Herschelle Gibbs, are able to tour India in October without fear of arrest.

Boje and Gibbs run the risk of being detained by Indian police over match-fixing allegations dating back to 2000, but Dave Richardson, head of the ICC's cricket operations, said they would try to defuse the situation before the Champions Trophy tournament at the end of the year.

"We can only facilitate the process," said Richardson. "It is principally a problem of two individual players and they are obviously taking legal advice. But if we receive a request from the South African cricket board, we are willing to facilitate it."

Gibbs and Boje have not toured India since the scandal broke in 2000, because they have failed to obtain any assurance that they will not be detained for questioning.

The former South Africa captain, Hansie Cronje, was implicated in the same scandal. He admitted involvement on his part and was served with a life ban before dying in a plane crash in 2002.

The Champions Trophy will be held from October 7 to November 5 in Mumbai, Mohali, Ahmedabad and Jaipur.