41 Facts About Hansie Cronje

Wessel Johannes "Hansie" Cronje was a South African international cricketer and captain of the South Africa national cricket team in the 1990s.

Hansie Cronje led South Africa to win the 1998 ICC KnockOut Trophy, the only major ICC title the country has won to date.

Hansie Cronje was voted the 11th-greatest South African in 2004 despite having been banned from cricket for life due to his role in a match-fixing scandal.

Hansie Cronje was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, and excelled in cricket and rugby during his school years.

Hansie Cronje earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of the Free State and had an older brother, Frans, and a younger sister, Hester.

Hansie Cronje played for Ireland as an overseas player in 1997, contributing to their first-ever win against English county opposition in the Benson and Hedges Cup.

Hansie Cronje was an impressive cricketer whose international career began at the 1992 World Cup.

Hansie Cronje debuted as a Test cricketer during South Africa's first Test since readmission, and went on to become the team's captain, leading them to multiple victories.

However, Hansie Cronje's career ended in disgrace when match-fixing allegations surfaced in 2000.

Hansie Cronje was banned from cricket for life but tragically died in a plane crash in 2002.

Hansie Cronje graduated in 1987 from Grey College in Bloemfontein, where he was the head boy.

Hansie Cronje was the captain of his school's cricket and rugby teams.

Hansie Cronje earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of the Free State.

Hansie Cronje had an older brother, Frans Cronje, and a younger sister, Hester Parsons.

Hansie Cronje made his first-class debut for Orange Free State against Transvaal at Johannesburg in January 1988 at the age of 18.

Hansie Cronje scored his maiden century for them against Natal in December 1990, and finished the season with another century and a total of 715 runs at 39.72.

In 1995, Hansie Cronje appeared for Leicestershire where he scored 1301 runs at 52.04 finishing the season as the county's leading scorer.

In 1997, Hansie Cronje played for Ireland as an overseas player in the Benson and Hedges Cup and helped them to a 46-run win over Middlesex by scoring 94 not out and taking three wickets.

Hansie Cronje earned an international call up for the 1992 World Cup, making his One Day International debut against Australia at Sydney.

In South Africa's next Test series against Sri Lanka, Hansie Cronje scored his second Test century, 122 in the second Test in Colombo; the victory margin of an innings and 208 runs is a South African record.

Hansie Cronje finished the series with 237 runs at 59.25 after scoring 73* in the drawn third Test.

Hansie Cronje scored 71 in a rain-affected first test at Melbourne before a tense second test that South Africa won by 5 runs.

An injury to captain Kepler Wessels meant Hansie Cronje was captain for the final day of the match.

Hansie Cronje started the ODI series with scores of 112,97,45 and 50* and when Australia played Orange Free State in their final match before the first Test, Hansie Cronje hit 251 off 306 balls, 200 of these came on the final day in which 294 runs were added.

Hansie Cronje scored only one century on the whole tour and scored only 90 runs in the three-test series.

Hansie Cronje was the first captain since W G Grace to win a three-match series after being one down.

Hansie Cronje scored a second innings 54* to guide them to a seven wicket win.

Hansie Cronje produced better form against Australia, averaging over 50 in both test and ODI series although both were lost.

Hansie Cronje came up against Australia and ended on the losing side.

Hansie Cronje put a stump through the umpires' dressing room door after the match and was lucky to avoid a ban.

Hansie Cronje missed the first Test of the series with Pakistan because of a knee injury.

At the 1999 World Cup, Hansie Cronje finished with 98 runs at 12.25 as South Africa were eliminated after the famous tied semi-final against Australia at Edgbaston.

In October 1999, Hansie Cronje became South Africa's highest Test run scorer during the first Test against Zimbabwe.

Hansie Cronje captained the One Day International team to 99 wins out of 138 matches with one tied match and three no results.

Hansie Cronje holds the South African record for matches won as captain, and his record of captaining his side in 138 matches stands bettered only by Graeme Smith's 149 matches as ODI captain.

Hansie Cronje has the record for playing the most consecutive ODI matches as captain and is the only player to play in 100-plus consecutive ODI matches as captain.

Hansie Cronje challenged his life ban in September 2001 but on 17 October 2001, his application was dismissed.

On 1 June 2002, Hansie Cronje's scheduled flight home from Johannesburg to George was grounded.

Hansie Cronje then hitched a ride as the only passenger aboard a Hawker Siddeley HS 748 turboprop aircraft.

Conspiracy theories that Hansie Cronje was murdered on the orders of a cricket betting syndicate flourished after his death and were most recently re-floated by former Nottinghamshire coach Clive Rice in the wake of the death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer in March 2007.

Hansie Cronje's widow later married Jacques Du Plessis, a financial auditor, in 2003.