CAPE TOWN. Jun 5 (Internet report): Former South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje will face a testing time when he appears before the King commission of inquiry into alleged matchfixing and related matters which begins in Cape Town on Wednesday this week.

Cronje has admitted taking money for providing information to bookmakers, but has up until now given no details of the nature of his relationship with sports gamblers.

Cronje confessed to accepting cash from bookmakers in a written statement sent to Rhema Church leader Ray McCauley shortly before making an admission of his guilt to the United Cricket Board The contents of the letter, which Is now In possession of the commission. have not been revealed In-

sofar as they relate to the details of the allegations against Cronje.

However, one of the central terms of reference of the commission is to establish from Cronje the identity of the people from whom he received the sum of approximately 10 000 US dollars and what was the intended puqxjse of the payment.

The commission will also want to know from Cronje which other players or officials were aware of the payment.

Three other South African cricketers. Herschelle Gibbs. Nicky Boje and Pieter Strydom. were implicated following ihe Initial Investigations into match fixing by police in India, but Cronje has denied that any other members of the South African squad were involved

The three players have also denied any part in accepting cash, but will also to be called before the commission to ex-

f>lain how they came to be inked to the allegations.

Commission spokesman John Bacon said that Cronje was one of 46 witnesses who had been subpoenaed to testify at the hearings due to start on Wednesday.

The witnesses include players and officials as well as United Cricket Board chairman Dr Ali Bacher, who is expected to be one of the early witnesses to testify at the hearing.

Bacon said the order in whi< h witnesses would testify had not yet been decided upon. When Cronje testifies Ihe commission's evidence leader, deputy director of prosecutions in KwaZulu-Natal. Shamile Botohi will question him.

In order to comply with the terms of reference of the commission. Botohi will need to establish from Cronje who he dealt with in making the agreement to accept payment and what it entailed.

Up to now the only details that have emerged from Cronje's initial confession are that he accepted a bag containing 8.200 dollars in exchange for match forecast information during the triangular tournament between South Africa. England and Zimbabwe in January and February this year.

Cronje has denied any in-volveineut in match-fixing and McCauley has described his actions as a temporary lapse in his Christian beliefs

Cronje also said in his written confession that he had been "tempted by Satan".

The commission will also investigate allegations that surfaced in India about the involvement of South African players in match-fixing during the recent tour to that country.

Cronje will have to explain why he had mentioned the names of Gibbs. Strydom and Boje in a tape-recorded conversation with an Indian bookmaker

In addition, claims that the whole South African team was approached with a proposal to throw a match during its tour to India in 1996 will also be investigated. The commission will inquire as to who made the proposal, to whom, the terms of the deal and whether they were acted upon.

Apart from the incidents of alleged match-fixing and receipt of payments for information. the commission will also Investigate whether South African players or officials had participated in any form of betting on the outcome of matches between November last year and April this year.

The commission will be chaired by Judge Edwin King and will be held at the Centre for the Bonk in Queen \ i< mria Street in Cape Town.