Cricket: Steve Harmison's Decline Is Nothing Compared To Hansie's Downfall

In 2005, Steve Harmison was being described as “the most feared fast bowler in the world.” Constantly tormenting opening batsmen, his searing pace and devilish bouncers were parts of his game that most bowlers could only dream about.

Fast forward to England’s ill-fated Ashes tour of Australia in 2006-07 and the figure who once petrified opposition batsmen was being laughed out of the Gabba, bowling an horrendous wide with the opening ball that rather set the tone for a series to forget for the Durham man.

His loss of form and fall from prominence has been spectacular, but there is an international cricketer whose plummet from favour was even more incredible.

Wessel "Hansie" Cronje had tasted international cricket at the age of 21 and was South Africa’s permanent captain by 26. A useful bowler as well as a commendable batsman, his averages of 36 in Tests and 38 in ODIs are at the upper end of the spectrum.

He had played his part in South Africa’s biggest ever victory, scoring a century in an innings-and-208-run win over Sri Lanka, and seemed to have the cricketing world at his feet.

Cronje is South Africa’s record captain in terms of both appearances and victories in ODIs and Tests. His record places him as the third most successful national captain in cricket’s history. Yet, for many, his name will conjure only images of the mark on his career that tainted his memory permanently.

The match-fixing scandal of 2000 has taken the shine off what should have been remembered as a fine career in cricket. Cronje was at the centre of the whirlwind, losing his place as captain after accepting money from bookmakers to "forecast" games.

Later, after being found guilty of offering team-mates sums of money to under-perform in games, he was banned for life from the sport, being neither allowed to coach or play again.

Even his untimely death has not escaped the smear on his name. Killed in a plane crash in 2002, allegations surfaced that he was murdered at the hands of a betting ring following an inquest in 2006.

South African sport has rarely seen such as scandal as the match-fixing debacle of 2000, involving a man whose position in the national cricket side was one of prominence and power.

So, when we discuss the fall from grace suffered by our own Steve Harmison, it is important to reflect that his has not cost him his status as a sportsman.

The story of Hansie Cronje proves that worse things can happen to a cricketer’s reputation than a loss of form.