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Cape Town - Sport24 readers have remembered former Proteas captain Hansie Cronje on the day of his birth.
Cronje would have been 44 years old today if his life had not been taken in a tragic airplane crash on June 1, 2002.
Yet despite his history and his role in the match-fixing scandal that rocked the Proteas in 2000, most Sport24 readers either still regarded him as a hero, or had forgiven him.
Cronje was voted the 11th greatest South African in 2004 despite having been banned for life from professional cricket after an inquiry by the King Commission.
This is what Sport24 readers had to say about Cronje:
"RIP Hansie! The BEST Captain we ever had. My HERO ... at least he manned up to what he did and for that alone I have huge respect!" - Adolf Botes
"Hansie will remain a hero, hence we still talking about him to this day... Long live the spirit of Hansie Cronje." - Thabo Mokoena
"The man has paid for what he did & owned up, SA killed their own to show the world, Aus players got slapped over the wrist and continued playing. HERO FOREVER!" - Peter Reen
"Let those who have never sinned cast the stone first. Hansie, forever hero,RIP. That's the only captain, who, whenever SA was in trouble and he walks on to the field, he gave me hope." - Michael Mbatha
"All those Aussies and Indians that regularly get pinned for match fixing still live the high life. I adored Hansie and I've long ago forgiven him. He went down alone whilst so many that were just as guilty continued their careers. RIP, I hope your loved ones are at peace." - Jackie Smit
"'n Baie tipiese Suid-Afrikaner mentaliteit: 'n persoon doen 'n 100 briljante goed vir sy land, maak een fout, en jy onthou hom vir sy fout!" - JS
"The only real captain SA cricket has ever seen, from field positions, to bowling to batting to motivation, a legend in cricket Hansie = awesomeness , greatness." - Adrian Jaiden Carter Govender
"LEGEND!" - Craig Stack
"Still my hero ... RIP ou grote ..." - Schalk Meyer
"Hero who was fed to the wolves." - Fanie Viljoen
"And where has our cricket gone since the day he was cast out? I don't even watch cricket anymore. The Proteas suck." - Frederick van Zyl
"Still a hero. He took his punishment unlike players of today who earn millions in IPL and still do the dirty." - Leigh-Ann Bonaconsa
"Hansie was and still is a hero 2 me!" - Katlego Ntshabele
"Hansie Cronje - the best and only cricket captain post unity.The others are all wannabes." - Colin Meyer
"The only SA cricketer that klapped Shane Warne around for sixes!" - Philip du Plessis
"He was a game reader, game changer and a true legend, if you don't agree , get out your glass house..." - Glen Dick
"The best guy ever and ever and the best captain we will ever have miss u Hansie RIP." - Valerie Lawrence
"The fact that he realised his mistake; showed true remorse & humility, makes him a hero in my eyes." - Diederik Van Niekerk
"Captain of captains." - Ferdi Lessing
"Hero. Grew up trying to play the perfect hook shot like him." - Daniel Stoffberg
RIP Hansie Cronje (Gallo Images)
Cronje would have been 44 years old today if his life had not been taken in a tragic airplane crash on June 1, 2002.
Yet despite his history and his role in the match-fixing scandal that rocked the Proteas in 2000, most Sport24 readers either still regarded him as a hero, or had forgiven him.
Cronje was voted the 11th greatest South African in 2004 despite having been banned for life from professional cricket after an inquiry by the King Commission.
This is what Sport24 readers had to say about Cronje:
"RIP Hansie! The BEST Captain we ever had. My HERO ... at least he manned up to what he did and for that alone I have huge respect!" - Adolf Botes
"Hansie will remain a hero, hence we still talking about him to this day... Long live the spirit of Hansie Cronje." - Thabo Mokoena
"The man has paid for what he did & owned up, SA killed their own to show the world, Aus players got slapped over the wrist and continued playing. HERO FOREVER!" - Peter Reen
"Let those who have never sinned cast the stone first. Hansie, forever hero,RIP. That's the only captain, who, whenever SA was in trouble and he walks on to the field, he gave me hope." - Michael Mbatha
"All those Aussies and Indians that regularly get pinned for match fixing still live the high life. I adored Hansie and I've long ago forgiven him. He went down alone whilst so many that were just as guilty continued their careers. RIP, I hope your loved ones are at peace." - Jackie Smit
"'n Baie tipiese Suid-Afrikaner mentaliteit: 'n persoon doen 'n 100 briljante goed vir sy land, maak een fout, en jy onthou hom vir sy fout!" - JS
"The only real captain SA cricket has ever seen, from field positions, to bowling to batting to motivation, a legend in cricket Hansie = awesomeness , greatness." - Adrian Jaiden Carter Govender
"LEGEND!" - Craig Stack
"Still my hero ... RIP ou grote ..." - Schalk Meyer
"Hero who was fed to the wolves." - Fanie Viljoen
"And where has our cricket gone since the day he was cast out? I don't even watch cricket anymore. The Proteas suck." - Frederick van Zyl
"Still a hero. He took his punishment unlike players of today who earn millions in IPL and still do the dirty." - Leigh-Ann Bonaconsa
"Hansie was and still is a hero 2 me!" - Katlego Ntshabele
"Hansie Cronje - the best and only cricket captain post unity.The others are all wannabes." - Colin Meyer
"The only SA cricketer that klapped Shane Warne around for sixes!" - Philip du Plessis
"He was a game reader, game changer and a true legend, if you don't agree , get out your glass house..." - Glen Dick
"The best guy ever and ever and the best captain we will ever have miss u Hansie RIP." - Valerie Lawrence
"The fact that he realised his mistake; showed true remorse & humility, makes him a hero in my eyes." - Diederik Van Niekerk
"Captain of captains." - Ferdi Lessing
"Hero. Grew up trying to play the perfect hook shot like him." - Daniel Stoffberg
RIP Hansie Cronje (Gallo Images)
