JOHANNESBURG, June 2: Rescue workers on Sunday removed the bodies of former South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje, a pilot and co-pilot from a remote mountain after a fatal plane crash, a South African aviation official said.

“All three the bodies had been removed from the mountain. They have been taken to a mortuary where post-mortems will be performed,” Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesman Trevor Davids said.

He said the bodies were removed from the wreckage of a 45-seater Hawker Siddley 748 cargo plane, which crashed into mountains Saturday near Cronje’s hometown of George.

Davids said CAA crash investigators were at the scene in the steep mountains some 430 kilometres (260 miles) east of Cape Town.

The investigators were retrieving flight voice and data recorders.

“It will give us a good idea of what happened in the final moments of the crash,” Davids said.

Meanwhile, Cronje boarded the ill-fated plane after missing an earlier flight, said his agent Louise Klopper.

He had been scheduled to fly by South Africa Airways, Klopper said.

“He didn’t make it because a huge hailstorm in Jo’burg created a lot of traffic, which meant Hansie had to arrange another flight,” Klopper said.

The plane stopped in Bloemfontein to deliver mail before crashing in bad weather as it attempted to land, she said.

Most of the country’s Sunday press ran banner headlines on Cronje’s fatal crash.

“Nation Mourns Hansie” said a front-page headline in the City Press newspaper, while the Sunday Times obituary said he “was arguably South Africa’s greatest cricket captain before his career ended in disgrace”.

The Sunday Times described him as “a gifted sportsman and a natural leader whose self-admitted greed led to a life ban from cricket”.

The Sunday Independent’s leader said: “Cruel fate robs Hansie of a second chance”.

“Never before in this country had a ‘hero-to-zero’ tale of such mammoth proportions gripped most of our communities,” it said.

“Hansie’s death flight” read the front page of Afrikaans Sunday paper Rapport, which spent six full pages filled with pictures and tributes on Cronje.

“He was the hero of small boys from townships to golf estates, of girls and mothers from the boreholes to the beauty salons,” the Independent editorial said.

Pakistan’s leading cricket figures Sunday joined South Africa in mourning Cronje’s untimely death.

“Pakistan can only condole over the sad loss of Cronje, it’s a sad end to someone who turned into a tragic figure from a hero in international and South African cricket,” former Pakistan captain Imran Khan said.

“I think the match-fixing controversy and stigma associated with him is now buried with his death,” Pakistan captain Waqar Younis said. “We should remember him for his positive contributions to South African and international cricket.”

Another former captain Wasim Akram extended his condolences to Cronje’s family.

“I have sent my condolences to the bereaved family and I condole to South Africa for losing a great cricketer,” Wasim said.

Salim Malik, another ex-captain who is serving a life ban for match-fixing, also described Cronje’s death as tragic.

“Cronje was a great player and a great human being, it’s sad that he is no more,” Salim said.

Test captain Steve Waugh led Australia’s tributes. “Unfortunately, he didn’t finish his career as everyone would have hoped but now it is timely to forgive him his shortcomings and remember the good times.”

Steve’s twin brother and Australia Test batsman Mark Waugh said Cronje’s death was a tragedy. “He was a respected opponent and I always enjoyed playing against him.”

“It is one hell of a shock to us. But then we’ve got the memories of a fantastic son,” his father, Ewie, told SABC TV.

Fast bowler Allan Donald paid tribute Sunday to his friend and team-mate Hansie Cronje.

“I was at home when I got a call. You don’t believe these sorts of things so I immediately phoned Hansie’s mother. She was hysterical,” added Donald, a friend of Cronje’s since childhood.

“They (Cronje’s family) took a massive knock for this (the bribery scandal) and this is even worse.”

Australia’s most prominent cricket fan, Prime Minister John Howard, said Sunday he was sorry to hear of the death of Cronje.

“It’s a very sad end at a very young age and I am very sorry about it,” Howard told the ABC television here.

“He was a great cricketer and he was a very successful South African captain. You can’t of course forget the scandal but it’s a very tragic life and I feel for his family and I feel for South African cricket.”—AFP/Reuters