Rebel Cricket in South Africa.Pdf
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
SA cricket supremo, Ali Bacher’s family was threatened. Now he’d think twice. FAME AND INFAMY Not one South African “rebel” agreed with Apartheid. In fact, many actively protested against it. Opinion is divided as to whether they should be ashamed of the choices they made to play against the world’s best at a time when they were starved of company and competition, or happy to have made the most of rare opportunities. CRISPIN ANDREWS speaks to some of the main players in the dramas of WSC and the rebel tours. ny successful person from any walk Eddie Barlow, Clive Rice and Mike Procter had African stars could have hoped for was another of life will have memories from their long given up hope of their country returning to year playing domestic cricket in England and A personal and professional lives that the Test arena. Even youngsters like Garth Le back home. make them feel fulfilled. Roux and Kepler Wessels looked at their futures Of those six, only Richards knew something For a cricketer, this might be a successful with pessimistic eyes. was brewing in Australia that would change game, series or season; maybe a match where All these players were in England for the their lives. He was playing in Perth during they reached a treasured milestone or helped start of the 1977 season. It was a particularly the 1976-77 Australian season and had been win a big competition. Of these memories, the wet April, and Richards was starting his ninth approached by businessman Austin Robertson, player can feel proud, without inhibition or fear year at Hampshire, increasingly fed on behalf of television mogul Kerry of ridicule or judgement. up with the daily county grind. Packer, about playing for a world That is, unless you happen to be a South Procter was in his first season XI in an unofficial tournament African cricketer who played during the 1970s as Gloucestershire’s the following summer and 1980s, the decades during which the captain, his ninth at the in Australia. country was banned from international cricket county. Rice had been Richards had been as the rest of the cricketing world took a stand at Nottinghamshire WHEN THESE told all the world’s against its appalling Apartheid system. since 1975. Barlow PLAYERS RECALL best players would In the eyes of the world, a South African joined Derbyshire THEIR SPECIAL TIMES be involved, but cricketer of that vintage was, and still is, a in 1976. Le Roux, IN THE GAME, THEY he couldn’t tell South African first and a cricketer second. Even still at University ARE EXPECTED TO DO his mates. No one today, when these players recall their special in South Africa, was allowed to times in the game, all the more important to studying to SO WITH RETICENCE, know about it until them as the moments were fleeting, they are become a physical HUMILITY AND EVEN Packer had signed expected to do so with reticence, humility and education teacher, EMBARRASSMENT up all the players he even a tinge of embarrassment and guilt about would have a trial AND GUILT. wanted, sorted out what was going on in their country back then. with Barlow’s team their contracts and was In 1969-70, South Africa had thrashed Bill later in the year. Le ready to make his big Lawry’s Australians 4-0 to become unofficial Roux would later join Tony announcement to the world. world champions. Soon after, they were Greig-led Sussex in 1978. “At the start of the 1977 banned. They wouldn’t return until 1992. By Kepler Wessels was Greigy’s man season, there was still a concern then, African National Congress leader Nelson for 1977. that the cricket authorities might find out Mandela had been released from prison and Many of their county teammates, some of about World Series Cricket and nip it in the measures were being taken to end Apartheid. them lesser talents, would play international bud”, Richards recalls. Back in the mid-’70s, though, established cricket during 1977, for England, Pakistan, Things started moving during late South African stars such as Barry Richards, India or the West Indies; the best these South April, 1977. As the rain continued to fall, INSIDE CRICKET 57 FEBRUARY 2018 Garth Le (South Africa’s domestic competition) for a few at football’s 1938 World Cup. And two years government wrongdoing was more vocal than Roux bowls Ian years, I wanted to go to Australia and see if I earlier, the world turned out for the Nazis’ ever and English governments were keen to Chappell in a WSC final. He was man- could play against the best.” very own Berlin Olympics, where, thankfully, pursue more co-operative policies towards of-the-series in Richards earned next-to-nothing playing for black American athletes Jesse Owens, Ralph Commonwealth partners. 1978-79. Natal. And at Hampshire, there was always an Metcalfe and a few others shoved a dose Of the older South African players, Barry administrator standing between players and of reality up some seriously deluded Aryan Richards retired after WSC, uninspired by the a pay rise. “I had been out of it [international backsides – not before the US had withdrawn thought of more domestic drudgery. Barlow and cricket] for a long time, and was in my mid- two Jewish runners from their crack relay team Procter, carried on. “I had nothing arranged for 30s,” he said. “I wasn’t quite sure if I was up to so as not to embarrass Hitler. life after cricket,” Procter says. “I just wanted to speed or not, but I didn’t want to miss out.” On the rugby field, the British Lions, France, keep playing for as long as I could.” It turned out that Richards was very much up Ireland and England toured Apartheid South Rice put his all into Nottinghamshire and to the challenge. He averaged 79.14 in his five Africa in the 1980s. The South African rugby Transvaal. Le Roux bowled for Western Supertests over the two seasons, although he team also toured New Zealand in 1981. Province and Sussex. Wessles joined fared less well in the limited-overs games and Back in the late ’70s, cricket was still the Queensland and spent the next four years against lesser players in the WSC Cavaliers. establishment’s game. It was also, however, qualifying to play for Australia. Procter and Rice chipped in with some good the game of the Commonwealth. It wasn’t too long, however, before a new performances with both bat and ball, as the Many well-to-do Englishmen still had opportunity appeared for these players to be World XI won five of its six Supertests. Barlow business interests in South Africa and some tested at, almost, the highest level. South did well when called on in the one-dayers, might have even secretly shared the South African Cricket Board officials had for a while although he got a pair in his only Super Test, African regime’s views. But dissent about been hoping to tempt top players from Test- the 1978-79 final. “Eddie was 38 by then and past his best,” Procter says. “But his attitude was always the same: competitive, excited. Clive Rice Whether it was the beginning or end of his was just career, Eddie was always Eddie.” grateful to be selected. Under Barlow, the WSC Cavaliers, a team of “second-string” players, were surprisingly competitive against the big-three WSC sides. Sylvester Clarke – a The most notable South African successes in fast-bowling WSC were the two youngsters. talent banned by Kepler Wessles, playing for Australia in year the West Indies board. two (he was called up for national service in South Africa and so missed the first year of WSC) because Kerry Packer and Ian Chappell it was one of the Hampshire guys taking the thought that Australia needed another opener, mickey”, Richards says. scored 126 against the West Indies. He was This was how Packer did business. The Australia’s second-top scorer in the 1978-79 following summer, Le Roux had hardly stepped Supertests and third in the one-day averages. off the plane for his trial at Sussex when a big The same year, Le Roux was the second-best limousine arrived at Tunbridge Wells where one-day bowler and topped the Supertest YOUNGSTERS Sussex seconds were playing Kent. “The driver list, out-bowling Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson, LIKE GARTH took me all the way to London, and there in the Imran Khan and all the West Indians. LE ROUX AND hotel foyer was Mr Packer with Greigy”, Le Roux “When I first arrived in Australia I remember KEPLER WESSELS says. “Hey, Garth,” Packer called out. “Tony tells seeing Viv Richards in the hotel foyer, where me you can bowl fast. I’m going to take him at the teams were staying, looking at this brand LOOKED AT THEIR his word and give you a go.” new Holden Commodore, the reward for FUTURES WITH Packer then put £500 in Le Roux’s pocket, the man of the series,” Le Roux says. “Viv PESSIMISTIC told him to go out and have good time in obviously fancied his chances of winning that EYES. London and then get back to Sussex and get car. But he didn’t win it. I did.” the county contract that would make him Pretty much all the players say that WSC was Greg Chappell’s touring when Jamaican Prime eligible for WSC selection. the toughest cricket they ever played, a nod to Australians sat around in Minister Michael Manley A couple of years ago, I interviewed the the quality of the contest and a mark of respect English dressing rooms and objected to West Indian cricketers late Clive Rice.