As Glenda Jackson once said of Richard Nixon — death does not make a man better. Cronje is the man who said to his teammates in the dressing room; ‘Come on boys, let’s fix this match.’ Treachery of deeper density for a sportsman is unimaginable, especially when one represents one’s country.

The writer has decided to ignore the fact that his confessions came due to the possibility of his disgusted teammates informing the cricket authorities. Whilst one must sympathize with his family on his death, shoe boxes stuffed with money belie the sheer selfish greed of a man trusted and loved by cricket fans all over the world. Topped off by the portrayal as a devoutly religious man, he has surely lived a shameless lie.

The world is full of people who continue to break the law but this does not mean we should be lenient with those who confess. Mr. Deshpande may want to rethink his campaign to absolve Cronje and to consider the irreversible disservice done to a gentlemanly sport.