Former Lions bowler convicted for role in SA's 2015 fixing saga

Former Lions pacer Pumelela Matshikwe has been sentenced to six years in jail - suspended for five years - for his role in the 2015/16 Ram Slam T20 match-fixing saga.

Matshikwe, who was part of the group that was banned by Cricket South Africa's anti-corruption code, is the second player from that group to be convicted for the contravention of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities (PRECCA) Act and was given a six-year sentence that was suspended for five.

This conviction followed a plea agreement with the state in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Friday.

Matshikwe's conviction follows on from his 10-year ban from cricket for the following:  

- Receiving a payment or incentive to fix or contrive to influence improperly a match or matches in the 2015 RAM SLAM;

- Making a payment which in the circumstances would bring the sport of cricket into disrepute;

- Failing to disclose to the CSA Anti-Corruption officer a payment which they knew or ought to have known was given to them to procure a breach of the Code;

- Failing to disclose details of an approach to engage in corrupt conduct and failing to disclose full details of matters evidencing a breach of the Code by another participant.

In August, Matshikwe will have served six years of his ban, with Sport24 understanding that part of Matshikwe's suspended sentence is down to his participating in anti-corruption programs in cricket.

Matshikwe is the second cricketer from that group who has been convicted under the anti-corruption act that came into law in 2004 in the aftermath of the Hansie Cronje match-fixing scandal in 2000.

Gulam Bodi, who was banned from all cricket-related activities for his role in the match-fixing saga, was sentenced to a five-year