Plane Crash Takes Life Of Former South African Captain Cronje; A Tragedy That Struck In 2002
Former captain of the South African captain cricket team died in a plane crash in 2002.
Published : June 13, 2025 at 1:36 PM IST
Hyderabad: Ahmedabad witnessed one of the worst air accidents in history. Air India flight AI 171 flying from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport to London's Gatwick Airport crashed into a populated area shortly after takeoff on Thursday. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft crossed the airport boundary and crashed into a medical college hostel in the nearby Meghani Nagar area. One of the passengers survived miraculously, but the remaining 241 people on board the plane, including the cabin crew, were killed.
The incident reminds everyone of the other fatal plane crashes that have happened across the world. Similarly, cricket fans remember former South African captain Hansie Cronje's chartered flight crash in 2002. The death of one of the Proteas' most successful captains less than two years after he admitted to match-fixing shook the cricketing world. Cronje died in a horrific accident in June.
UPDATE: Air India confirms that flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on 12 June 2025, was involved in an accident.
— Air India (@airindia) June 12, 2025
The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew.
The aircraft crashed shortly…
The incident
The captain who led South Africa to their first ICC trophy (1998) was working for a company in Johannesburg after his ban from cricket. On June 1, 2002, Cronje was returning to George’s home from Johannesburg on a chartered flight.
However, even before reaching his destination, Cronje's chartered flight crashed in the Outeniqua Mountains. The crash is said to have been caused by poor visibility in cloudy weather. Along with Cronje, the two pilots died in the crash.
Cronje’s success
Cronje led the South African side in 53 Tests and 138 ODIs. Out of these, the team won 27 Tests and 99 ODIs. Apart from winning the 1998 ICC Champions Trophy (then ICC Knockout), the Proteas also reached the semi-finals of the World Cup the following year under Cronje's leadership. The all-rounder accrued over 9,000 international runs from 68 Tests and 188 ODIs laced with eight centuries.
Allegations of match fixing
Cronje became a villain across the cricketing world from being a hero earlier. Allegations of fixing a match against India which was played in 1998 were levelled against him. There were charges against Niki Boje as well but he was not implicated in the matter.
Initially, Cronje denied taking money from Indian bookies to fix matches. But he eventually accepted the allegations levelled against him before the South African Cricket Board on April 11. A recording of the conversation between the two parties also surfaced. Later, Cronje broke down in tears during the King Commission investigation and confessed his guilt.
The South African captain faced some severe punishment for his crime as the ICC banned from cricket-related activities for the lifetime.
