PRETORIA (Reuters) - Disgraced former South African captain Hansie Cronje failed to overturn a life ban from cricket in court on Wednesday. The Pretoria High Court ruled that the ban, imposed after Cronje admitted last year that he had accepted money from bookmakers during his captaincy, should stand but said he could take part in certain coaching and media activities.

Judge Frank Kirk-Cohen said the United Cricket Board (UCB) could not prevent Cronje from coaching "in schools where the governing body of the schools allow it, and where those schools are not affiliated with the UCB".

Kirk-Cohen also restrained the UCB from "preventing the applicant gaining access to a cricket ground as a journalist. But the ban applies to the use of the media centre and facilities and the interviewing of players".

"Accreditation may be granted in the sole discretion of the UCB," the judge said.

Kirk-Cohen also rejected Cronje's bid to be allowed to work for official UCB sponsors.

Cronje, who also offered money to two team mates to under-perform in a one-day international, argued he had not been given a fair hearing before the ban and that it prevented him from earning a living.

Cronje's downfall came in April last year after India police investigating match-fixing taped him talking to underground bookmakers.

Cronje, a born-again Christian, denied the charges at first before saying he had allowed "Satan and the world to dictate terms to me".

Team-mates Herschelle Gibbs and Henry Williams served six-month bans from international cricket after admitting they had considered an offer from Cronje to play badly in a one-dayer.

Cronje told a government commission set up to investigate the scandal that he had accepted about $130,000 from bookmakers over a four-year period in return for information and influencing the course of matches although he denied rigging results.

His sacking was part of a worldwide match-fixing scandal that rocked the sport. Two other former national captains, Mohammad Azharuddin of India and Salim Malik of Pakistan, were also banned for life.

The International Cricket Council had said it believed match-fixing was continuing in the sport.

Cronje, 32, initially cut his ties with cricket, saying he would never play again.

Recently, however, he has become increasing vocal in wanting to renew his links with the sport, at first talking of his desire to coach underprivileged children and recently suggesting he could become South Africa's coach.

It has been widely speculated that he could also try to find employment as a cricket commentator.

Cronje, a powerful right-hand batsman and useful medium-pacer, played 68 Tests, averaging 36.41, as well as 188 one-day internationals. He became South Africa's captain at the age of 25, helping to forge a side currently ranked second in the world behind Australia.

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