Cricket: First slip, second slip, third slip ...

Disgraced South African captain Hansie Cronje's admission that he received money from an Indian bookmaker has already been dubbed the worst scandal in the history of cricket.

After earlier denials Cronje told South Africa's United Cricket Board that during the one-day series in South Africa with Zimbabwe and England, he was contacted by a so-far unnamed South African and a bookmaker of Indian origin based in London.

The end result was that he was given a five-figure sum which he said he took home and has not deposited in a bank.

Since 1998, allegations of match-fixing and illegal betting seem to have gone on with scarcely a pause.

1998

OCTOBER: A judicial inquiry starts in Lahore under Judge Malik Qayyum into allegations that Pakistan test players Salim Malik, Ijaz Ahmed and Wasim Akram helped fix matches.

Australia captain Mark Taylor, whose team is touring Pakistan, tells the inquiry that team mates Shane Warne and Tim May were offered money to "bowl badly" on their last tour in 1994-95. Mark Waugh says Malik approached him before a one-day match on the same tour asking whether he could find four or five players willing to throw the match.

NOVEMBER: Former captain Pakistan captain Imran Khan tells the inquiry that some of his team mates cheated and took bribes. Imran says he first heard of match-fixing nearly 20 years ago.

DECEMBER 8: The Australian Cricket Board admits it secretly fined Mark Waugh and Warne in February 1995 for giving what it called routine pitch and weather details to bookmakers during Australia's 1994 tour of Sri Lanka. Both players say they were "naive and stupid" but deny giving tactical information.

DECEMBER 11: The ACB says it will set up an independent inquiry into any betting involvement by Australia's 25-man international squad. On the same day, former New Zealand fast bowler Danny Morrison says he was invited to sell information while playing India in 1994. A similar approach on a 1993 tour of Sri Lanka is reported by former Australian all-rounder Greg Matthews.

DECEMBER 13: England's former one-day captain, Adam Hollioake, says that during a tournament in Sharjah, a bookmaker offered to make him "a millionaire." Hollioake says he reported the offer to team manager David Graveney.

1999

JANUARY 3: Akram reinstated as captain of Pakistan.

JANUARY 8: Pakistan inquiry reconvenes in Melbourne and hears evidence from Mark Waugh and Warne. Warne says Malik approached him during the first test in Pakistan in 1994-5 and offered him money to bowl poorly to ensure a drawn match.

JULY: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif calls on his Government's accountability bureau to investigate the national team after its crushing World Cup final loss to Australia. Akram, Malik and Ahmed are banned from playing for Pakistan until cleared by the inquiry.

AUGUST: New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming says he was offered money by an Asian betting syndicate to throw the third test against England. Former England all-rounder Chris Lewis says he was asked by an Asian betting syndicate to persuade the England team to play poorly.

SEPTEMBER 13: PCB chairman Mujeeb Rahman Khan announces Akram, Malik and Ahmed have been reinstated. Justice Malik says he is still compiling his report, which has yet to be released.

2000

APRIL 7: Delhi's Joint Commissioner of Police, K.K. Paul, charges South Africa captain Hansie Cronje and team mates Herschelle Gibbs, Pieter Strydom and Nicky Boje with involvement in match-fixing during a one-day series against India in March. They deny the charges.

APRIL 11: Cronje sacked as captain for three-match one-day series against Australia after admitting he had not been "entirely honest."

Full transcript of the "Cronje" tape.