The Transcript of the Hansie Cronje Interview - Part IV

Mike Haysman: Hansie, just going back to your family environment how would you rate that overall as you grew and as you started playing for South Africa?

Hansie: I don’t believe I got where I got in sport without family support, they were obviously there for me always and I was dropped on a number of occasions from school sides from Free State from South African sides and they were there to support me through those tough times, they were there to share in the good times and family, if there is a couple of lessons that I have learned out of this is that you cannot rely entirely on yourself, you have to rely on your family, and they were fantastic throughout my career, not only during the last three months but throughout my career, they were supportive and very helpful, I think I feel kind of bad because often you would sit back and wait for them to approach you and congratulate and commiserate with you and you get so caught up in your own life that you forget that they also leading a life, and I think one of the lesson I learned out of this is that I should be doing a little more for them as well, and trying to support them a bit

Mike Haysman: How religious was your upbringing?

Hansie: I think in Bloemfontein in Grey College in Dutch Reformed Church we were religious background, my parents were members of the Dutch Reformed Church, we went to church on Sundays – but I do not think it is about religion, I think it’s about a relationship, I think your relationship with Christ is what is important, going to Church every Sunday does not make you a Christian, it’s a relationship with Christ and accepting that Christ came to the earth to die for your sins, and we are all sinners and we are all born sinners and we accept that and the fact that you being religious or the fact that you are a Christian does not mean you are not going to make a mistake, my upbringing was Dutch Reformed and conservative, in Bloemfontein but that has nothing to do with religion or Christianity, Christianity has got to do with your relationship with Christ

Mike Haysman: Surely you’ve dented your relationship with the church and people you mixed with throughout this episode?

Hansie: Strangely enough that the church and the Christians and the friends that I have , have been unbelievable, as long as you can have a balance in life, and realize that yes you made a mistake , and yes you have been forgiven by God, because he forgives you straight away, the toughest part is to actually to forgive yourself, that has been the toughest part, for me , a lot of people look at you and say , “yes you are a Christian but you still made a mistake,” being a Christian does not mean you don’t make mistakes, that it is making you superior to other human beings that’s not what it’s about, and that’s not what Christianity is about.

Mike Haysman: Hansie, I cannot quiet understand this issue, it looks like you’ve have the absolute perfect upbringing and strong religious believes, how and why did you go off the rails?

Hansie: I made some mistakes, I don’t really believe I went completely off the rails,

Mike Haysman: Many people say you have

Hansie: I made some mistakes for sure, these are huge mistakes that I have made and if I could have it all over again I would probably try and cut out those mistakes, but I believe it was very easy for me to fall into that trap which I did, there were a number of occasions when I tried to get myself back when I tried to rehabilitate myself , try to do it on my own strength, rather in maybe confiding in someone else, and I think the stupidity, my own stupidity and greed and the lure of easy money, was the fact that got me in the first time, and it just seems that every time you pass it away the next time was that much easier, and once again you can have it all over again and move back in time, the first time that this was given to you the opportunity was given to you, not good enough for me and I don’t want to associate with that but I did not and that’s the mistake I made.

Mike Haysman: Hansie, as a cricketer, as a spokesman as a guest speaker as an endorserment of products, you were earning a great deal of money why did you need more?

Hansie: I don’t think it was the money part, it was certainly easy money, certainly, I have always tried to rationalize it from a point of view of, for giving a little bit of information for getting something in return - I think it was somehow fuelled by the fact that you earn big endorsements that you earn, big money and that did not seem to be real motivator behind it, once again when you look in hindsight why, why did you need it at the time, because I was very well paid, not only financially but from a experience point of view, travelled 42 different countries and extremely grateful to the game and if you sit back and take five minutes and you say why: I cannot give you an answer

Mike Haysman What are some of your great memories playing being involved in the South African side?

Hansie: Obviously every test win is special, in particular 1994 was special beating Australia –

Mike Haysman: As Captain

Hansie: Well I was not really captain I was just standing in for the last innings when Kepler was not on the field, that was really special, playing you first test was special, getting your bat was special, playing at Lords twice and winning twice was special, there are two many good moments to remember them all, and I think the friendships that you made in the dressing room, away from your dressing room, in other countries, those are all special memories.

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Mail Cricket Editor