Gibbs and Boje pull out of Indian tour

Herschelle Gibbs and Nicky Boje have pulled out of South Africa's forthcoming tour to India in November. It is possible that the Delhi Police might question the two cricketers for their alleged involvement in the matchfixing scandal,

Both players had pulled out of the last year's Test tour to India after the Delhi Police, which was responsible for cracking the case in 2000, did not give an assurance they would not be questioned or arrested. Their denial on accepting money to underperform in ODIs on South Africa's tour of India in 2000-01, is apparently yet to convince the Indian authorities.

Gerald Majola, the chief executive of the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) said that they hadn't been given an assurance regarding the safety of Gibbs and Boje despite repeated efforts."The whole matter is beginning to develop into a circus," Majola told Rapport, an Afrikaans weekly. He added that though Jagmohan Dalmiya, the former president of the Indian board, had assured him that nothing would happen to Gibbs and Boje if they toured India, "up to now we have not been able to get the same assurance from the Indian police."

When the same issue had cropped up in July, the Indian board had clearly said that they were in no position to give any assurances. SK Nair, the Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary, had said, "We have certain limitations so far as these issues are involved. BCCI can only put up their case before the government". He added that the South African board could "apply to the Indian government through diplomatic channels", which was what eventually transpired.