JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa said Monday they had banned four players following a match fixing probe of the 2015 domestic Twenty20 competition.
The banned players were named as Jean Symes, Pumelela Matshikwe, Ethy Mbhalati and Thami Tsolekile, the former South African Test wicketkeeper.
“The banning of these four players follows a lengthy investigation,” said the organization in a statement.
The players have been banned from the sport for between seven to 12 years following the probe of the domestic Twenty20 competition.
“Whilst there has been no evidence to suggest that an actual fix in any match was carried out, these players all participated in material discussions about match fixing,” said Cricket South Africa chief executive Haroon Lorgat.
Tsolekile, who received a 12-year-ban, is said to have failed to disclose to the authorities “details of an approach to engage in corrupt conduct” in the 2015 competition.
Tsolekile, 35, toured England as South Africa’s back-up wicketkeeper in 2003 and played in three Test matches, two against India and one against England, in 2004.
He remained on the fringes of the team and toured England and Australia in 2012 and the United Arab Emirates for a series against Pakistan in 2013 without winning further caps.
Matshikwe, a bowler formerly contracted to the Lions, is said to have received a payment or incentive to fix a match.
He was given a 10-year ban, and so was Mbhalati, a bowler formerly contracted to the Titans.
Symes was handed a seven-year ban for failing to disclose to the authorities a payment given to him.
“Our attitude toward any form of corruption is clear and hence why we have imposed the firm sanctions,” said Lorgat.
Lorgat said investigations were still ongoing and declined to comment on the possibility of other players being involved.
All the banned players have expressed regret for their offenses.
“I deeply regret that at the end of my career, a career that I have devoted to the sport of cricket...I have conducted myself in a manner that amounts to a contravention of the ethical code of conduct of Cricket South Africa,” said Symes.
The bans came into effect on August 1.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) praised the sanctions as “rightly strong,” adding that the players won’t be allowed to compete in any league anywhere in the world.
“What is particularly satisfying to note is that it appears that any intended wrongdoing was disrupted before it happened, meaning the domestic games in question went ahead without any act of corruption being committed,” said Richardson in a statement.
The bans came more than six months after Gulam Bodi, another former international player, was banned for 20 years after admitting charges of “contriving or attempting to fix matches” in South Africa’s domestic Twenty20 competition.
Bodi acted as an intermediary for international betting syndicates in approaching players involved in the tournament.
Tony Irish, chief executive of both the South African Cricketers’ Association and the international players’ representative body, said it was a sad day for cricket but took heart from the fact that there had been a thorough investigation.
“Cricket has got these problems worldwide,” said Irish.
“The positive is that our system has detected them and there has been a successful prosecution as a result of clean players coming forward,” he added.
Cricket South Africa bans 4 over match fixing
Cricket South Africa bans 4 over match fixing
Powerboat pilots primed for E1 Jeddah GP 2026
- Team Monaco and Sierra Racing Club joined the championship for the first time, adding further depth to the grid
- Event is organized by the Saudi Water Sports and Diving Federation in collaboration with the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM)
JEDDAH: Pilots of the teams participating in the opening round of the third season of the E1 Series, the world’s first all-electric raceboat championship on the Red Sea in Jeddah from January 23 – 24, have expressed their readiness for the event.
The Jeddah GP 2026 will feature a record of 10 teams racing the cutting-edge E1 RaceBirds, underlining the rapid growth of the championship and its ambitions as a global competition spanning four continents.
Team Monaco and Sierra Racing Club joined the championship for the first time, adding further depth to the grid with a mix of experienced and emerging pilots.
The event is organized by the Saudi Water Sports and Diving Federation in collaboration with the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), under the supervision of the Ministry of Sport and is presented by the Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Ahead of the event, a press conference was held on Wednesday at the media center, appearing at the event was John Williams, Managing Director at E1 who shared the excitement and vision for the opening season for the UIM E1 World Championship and expressed his enthusiasm for the Jeddah round.
He told the media that E1 World Championship 2026 is looking ahead for another thrilling and exciting season, “We are delighted to restart racing here on the beautiful Red Sea in Jeddah as the E1 Jeddah GP once again brings together electric racing, elite teams and world-class pilots as the championship enters a new season.”
“We always love to come back to this beautiful city of Jeddah and hope we can bring excitement to our fans here in this part of the world and we are very excited for a great race.
He added that the vision for E1 has always been to inspire change through competition.
“With every season, E1 is not only growing as a sport but showing what’s possible when sport drives sustainability forward,” he said.
Williams also announced that the E1 race in partnership with Saudi Arabia introducing new initiatives as part of its social program, he said: “During this weekend we aim to inspire Saudi students aged 8 to 18 to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as sustainability, through the lens of electric racing.”
Also attended, Rusty Wyatt of AlUla team, Tom Chiappe of team Rafael Nadal, Maxime Nocher of team Monaco, and Ieva Millere of team Drogba.
French professional pilot for Team Rafa, Tom Chiappe indicated that the team is gearing up for a new exciting season, “First of all, glad to come back to Jeddah and looking forward to competing and winning first place after we finished last season in second. I am really glad to start the season here in Jeddah and hope the E1 fans in Jeddah enjoy the race,” he said.
Canadian racer, Rusty Wyatt of team AlUla expressed his excitement to show what the team can achieve in front of so much local support and to make AlUla proud.
“It really feels like a home GP in Jeddah.
Following last year’s E1 Grand Prix in Jeddah, Wyatt was fortunate enough to spend a week in AlUla which he said was truly unforgettable.
Speaking about this season, He continued: “We have gone through a lot of work to get better and this year we have taking all the data and all that knowledge to become much better team. Our confidence level is really high and we are going to give it all best of us to gain pole position.”
As she is gearing up for the E1 series race in Jeddah, this year Ieva Millere piloting the innovative RaceBird for Drogba team after representing the Brazil team last year.
“I am so excited to be here in Jeddah for the third year in a row but this time I am with the Drogba team. We are really hoping to bring success for the team.”
Meanwhile, the pilot of team Monaco, French Maxime Nocher confirmed 2026 would serve as a learning season.
“It is the debut season for team Monaco and the goal is to gain experience and build something solid for the next season in 2027. However, we are ready to make an impact for our season,” he said.
