Reports: Two current South Africa Test players under investigation for corruption scandal
The match-fixing scandal around the 2015 Ram Slam tournament is already the most infamous incident of this nature in cricket in recent times, but things have taken a further sensational turn – two currently active Protea Test cricketers are under the scanner for their part in the affair, according to Sportsmail.
Earlier this week, a former South Africa cricketer who played a limited number of international matches, Gulam Bodi, was revealed to be the main suspect being investigated as the ‘ringleader’ of the fixing system. However, as it turns out, Bodi was hardly the most famous name to be dragged through dust over this.
It has also emerged that a number of less experienced players are also believed to have either responded to or failed to report approaches to 'spot-fix' matches in South Africa’s domestic league. However, the most earth-shattering revelation will be the names of the two active Test cricketers whose identities are still not known.
All that is known about the two is that they are not playing any part in the ongoing England-South Africa series.
Possible suspects
Active Test cricketers who are not playing in the series are not many in number – JP Duminy, Simon Harmer, Vernon Philander, Imran Tahir, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Alviro Peterson, Rory Kleinveldt, Wayne Parnell, Ryan Mclaren, Albie Morkel and Imraan Khan.
Only these 11 players did not have any part to play in the current Test series, and are still plying their trade in some format or other. Based on available information, it seems as if two of the above 11 names will get their name tarnished in one of the worst scandals to hit cricket.
The Ram Slam tournament was one of the most popular and lucrative domestic series, with a number of international players joining provincial franchises. Commentators said the series had attracted the attention of international match-fixers because it was televised live across the globe.
There is no doubt that this is a scandal as big as any to have hit the game in South Africa, or anywhere else where the sport is played.