Sanjeev Chawla, who was central to the "seduction" of late Proteas captain Hansie Cronje into match-fixing, and the key accused in the 2000 scandal, has been arrested in London on the request of the Delhi police.
The London court's extradition warrant appears to have ended Chawla' s fight not to be sent to India from Britain.
In 2000, the South African cricket fraternity was stunned to learn that Cronje, after initially denying any involvement in match-fixing, had confessed his guilt to then cricket boss Ali Bacher.
In what many regarded as an over-reaction, Cronje was subsequently banned for life and cricket in South Africa forever lost its innocence.
Chawla is the man who first made contact with Cronje in the 1990s and tied him into the murky underworld of match-fixing, with gifts and money.
Cronje's activities were uncovered in 1999 by police in Delhi, who intercepted a number of calls between the South African and Chawla in which they discussed match-fixing details.
When news of the intercepted recordings broke, Chawla moved to England and the war over his extradition has been waged ever since.
His extradition hearing has been set for October 3 and he could go on trial early next year in Delhi.
Chawla will have to give evidence and the subsequent publicity is likely to put the most traumatic episode in South African cricket history back in media headlines.
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