South Africa's former Test players Thami Tsolekile and Lonwabo Tsotsobe face legal proceedings following their arrest on corruption charges linked to match-fixing allegations, with potential imprisonment if found guilty.
Ethy Mbhalati, a domestic player, was taken into custody last month and faces corruption allegations along with Tsolekile and Tsotsobe.
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Tsolekile and Tsotsobe had previously received extensive cricket bans alongside other players. The pair appeared before a specialised commercial crimes court in Pretoria on Friday, where they received five charges under the country's anti-corruption legislation.
Under South African anti-corruption laws, offenders may receive up to 18-year prison terms in certain cases. However, two other players previously involved in the same scandal received suspended sentences after entering guilty pleas.
Tsolekile and Tsotsobe were apprehended in March regarding a 2015 domestic tournament match-fixing case in South Africa. A special police unit had been investigating the two players since 2016.
The 2015 Ram Slam T20 tournament investigation revealed that Gulam Bodi, a former South African international batsman, approached players to manipulate matches or specific aspects of games on behalf of Indian bookmakers. Subsequently, Bodi received a five-year prison sentence for his attempts to orchestrate match-fixing.
The investigation team concluded that whilst players had discussions about potential match-fixing, no actual manipulation took place.
Two other players were handed suspended prison sentences after pleading guilty following their arrest in 2021 and 2022.
The 44-year-old Tsolekile, a right-handed batter, has played three Tests. In 2016, he received a 12-year cricket ban. Tsotsobe, 40, is a former fast bowler who represented South Africa across all formats between 2009 and 2014. He received an eight-year suspension in 2017.
