Ex-Protea charged by anti-corruption unit

Former South Africa Test player Alviro Petersen has been charged with contriving to fix domestic Twenty20 matches in 2015.

Petersen, who played 36 Tests between 2010 and 2015, averaging nearly 35 with the bat, has been provisionally suspended from all cricket activities by Cricket South Africa's anti-corruption unit.

Petersen, 35, early this year claimed that he had blown the whistle on a conspiracy to fix games in the 2015 season which has already led to bans for fellow former Proteas Gulam Bodi (20 years) and Thami Tsolekile (12 years).

But he now faces a slew of charges, including "seeking to accept, accepting or agreeing to accept a bribe or reward to fix or contrive to fix or influence improperly a match or matches".

It is understood his selection in the Highveld Lions squad for the opening T20 match of the new season prompted his suspension.

Petersen faces nine counts of failing to disclose approaches by suspected match fixers to anti-corruption officials and he also stands accused of hindering the investigation into the fixing syndicate.

Petersen played the last of his 36 Tests against the West Indies at Newlands in January 2015. He also played 21 one-day Internationals and two T20 matches for South Africa.

Petersen made a century on debut against India in 2010 and finished with five centuries and eight half-centuries in 36 tests at an average of 34.88. He made more than 2000 test runs, with a career-best 182 against England in 2012.

He had spent the past two seasons playing for English County Lancashire, and his last first-class match was against Middlesex in September. He missed Lancashire’s final game of the county season to return to South Africa when his wife had experienced complications with the birth of the couple’s second child.

In a statement, CSA said Petersen has been charged with:

• Contriving to fix or otherwise improperly influence, or being party to a scheme in which attempts would be made to fix or otherwise improperly influence, a match or matches in the 2015 RAM SLAM T20 Challenge Series;
• Seeking to accept, accepting or agreeing to accept a bribe or reward to fix or contrive to fix or influence improperly a match or matches in the 2015 RAM SLAM T20 Challenge Series;
• Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations to engage in Corrupt Conduct under the Code;
• Failure to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (without unnecessary delay) full details of any incident or fact that may evidence Corrupt Conduct under the Code by another participant;
• Nine counts of failing to disclose (without unnecessary delay) accurate and complete information and/or documentation to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official;
• Obstructing or delaying the investigation by concealing, tampering with or destroying information or documentation relevant to the investigation.

Petersen has 14 days to respond to the charges.