King denies recommending tapping players' phones

Judge Edwin King, the man at the head of the commission of inquiry into match-fixing in South Africa, has denied recommending that players' cellular telephones be bugged.

It was widely reported after King's second interim report was released in December that his recommendations had included the bugging of players' phones.

However, United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) communications officer Bronwyn Wilkinson confirmed that King had sent a memorandum to the UCBSA clarifying the contents of his report "in case the media's reporting had distorted the public's interpretation of his recommendations."

King explained that he had simply suggested a check on players' itemised telephone bills to determine the frequency of calls to or from particular numbers.

"Details of calls made and received should be available so as to allow monitoring by the UCB," was the wording of King's suggestion in the report.

Wilkinson confirmed that all the South African national players had cellular phones issued by the UCBSA.

Mail Cricket Editor