Basil D'oliveira

14 Tuesday 22nd November, 2011 BY SCYLD BERRY where non-whites were segregat- round cricketer ever known, where the crowd was 100 per cent ed at Newlands in Cape Town. He Garfield Sobers. behind him. o professional cricketer had given up hope of playing at The confusions which He was soon to be proved can have had a career so such a level, was about to give up D’Oliveira had to overcome in his right about Lord’s not being com- Nfull of emotion and con- the game itself, and had just got career were illustrated when he pletely supportive. Even though troversy as Basil D’Oliveira. married to Naomi from his own returned by ship to Cape Town at he became an England regular, From his introduction as the community, when the break the end of his 1960 season: so and scored a brilliant 158 against first non-white South African in came: for several years Arlott, sporting, if only in the literal Australia at the Oval in 1968, the English county cricket, to his role famous radio commentator and sense, were many white South England selectors did not select in the banning of South Africa cricket correspondent of The Africans that he was feted on him in the 16-man touring party from international cricket and Guardian, had been trying to per- landing, and driven in triumph to South Africa that winter. sport in general, to his long sad suade a league club in England to through the streets, accompanied Pressures came from above, decline with Parkinson’s disease, employ D’Oliveira as a profes- by bands, to a reception by the no doubt from the very top of D’Oliveira’s life was perhaps the sional. Mayor of Cape Town. government. D’Oliveira became most extraordinary the game has Naturally, none would – there Yet, at the same time, his the cause célèbre: a few voices at ever seen. As a cricketer, he was a very good, powerfully built batsman and a competent bowler. He could have become a great batsman if the opportunity had come earlier in his career. He would never reveal his Basil D’Oliveira: actual date of birth – he would not have been selected for Middleton, Worcestershire or England if he had – but he let it be known that he was born at least three years earlier than the 1931 date which he officially gave. In other words he was at least 32 thethe cricketcricket star’sstar’s when he was given a chance in league cricket, 34 when he qualified for Worcestershire, and 38 when he was first chosen for England – and probably three to five years older. Thus his aggre- extraordinarextraordinaryy lifelife gates of 18,882 first-class runs at an average of 39.67, and 2,484 Test runs at 40.06, would surely have been more than doubled if he had As the controversy over sporting links with apartheid South been granted a normal career in Africa raged like no other cricketing controversy before or a normal society. D’Oliveira however was since – not Bodyline, not Zimbabwe – D’Oliveira main- unlucky enough to have been tained his outward calm and dignity, but he was not born a non-white in apartheid South Africa and brought up unscathed.The frustration ran deep, naturally.He revealed under the weight of all the dis- criminations that that system it in an anecdote in his autobiography, about a game in imposed. Scarborough in 1966 when he batted against the white He was a Cape Coloured, although in 1995 when – for the South African fast bowler Peter Pollock: first time since emigrating – he returned to the house where he grew up on Signal Hill in Cape Town, during a visit funded by was no evidence that Cape heavily pregnant wife Naomi was the top spoke up for him – Mike The Sunday Telegraph, he told Coloureds could play organised not allowed to use the whites-only Brearley and David Sheppard me his forebears probably came cricket as they had never been toilet at the docks. D’Oliveira most notably – but otherwise the FILE - In this April 22, 1966 file photo, South Africa-born England from Madeira, not Malaya or given the chance – until learnt how to acquire a massively cricket establishment was far all-rounder Basil D’Oliveira is seen in London. D’Oliveira, the crick- Indonesia like most of his com- Middleton in the Central calm exterior: when he walked keener on preserving traditional eter who was at the center of a famous controversy that marked the munity: hence the Portuguese Lancashire League had their pro out for his Test debut at Lord’s in ties with apartheid South Africa beginning of his native country’s 23-year cricketing isolation died surname. Thus classified, what cry off at the start of the 1960 1966 and the crowd cheered him than on striking a blow against on Saturday at the age of 80. chance of a decent life did he season, needed a late replace- to the echo, no English gentleman institutionalised injustice. ’Sport have? Or, as John Arlott phrased ment, and were persuaded to give to the manor born could have and politics’ don’t mix was their the benefit of the doubt, to think disease set in. After returning to it: “What opportunity was there D’Oliveira a go. Even then the been more dignified. But, inside, slogan. Then Tom Cartwright that the ball had slipped or that South Africa for the England tour for a boy cricketer, denied by the club wasn’t prepared to risk experience filled him with turbu- pulled out of the original touring his footholds were troubling him of 1995-6, he was unable to go for laws of his native country organ- much money, and his friends had lent emotions. party through injury, D’Oliveira – but no, he just looked straight at their tour of 2004-5, when the tro- ised coaching; parental financial to raise money through charity In 1964, obviously too good for was selected in his place, and the me grimly, didn’t apologise or phy for which the two countries capacity to afford proper gear; matches in Cape Town so that he league cricket, he qualified for South African Prime Minister look at his footholds. All the competed was named after him. the use of a grass wicket or a safe could make ends meet in a com- Worcestershire – at the persua- John Vorster immediately called anger and frustration of a In his twilight years he followed outfield; the opportunity to take pletely alien world. sion of his friend and team-mate off the tour, affronted by the pres- coloured South African facing up Naomi around, increasingly part in a first-class match or to In his first several weeks in Tom Graveney – and helped them ence of a non-white in the to a white South African welled oblivious to everything else, play against opponents experi- England, on damp turf pitches, to retain the county champi- England team. up inside me and I thought, “I’ll before entering a nursing home. enced at such a level?” D’Oliveira could hardly make a onship the following year. As the controversy over sport- get you”. I didn’t believe he would Even in his restricted career, In non-white South African run: 25 in his first five league Simply to make a place for ing links with apartheid South bowl another beamer at me so I when he was past his physical cricket, on rough pitches usually innings. himself in such a strong side, he Africa raged like no other crick- decided to hit him out of sight prime, D’Oliveira was a formida- of matting, D’Oliveira hit 80 cen- The alien-ness was not con- had to become a reliable slip eting controversy before or since next ball. Fortunately the ball bly strong cricketer. But it was turies before trying for better fined to the cricket field. Brought fielder and a good fourth seamer, – not Bodyline, not Zimbabwe – pitched in just the right spot and for the struggle which he experi- luck abroad: had he spent the up as a third-class citizen at best, as well as a dependable number D’Oliveira maintained his out- I can still see it flying into the top enced, and personified, and won, first 15 years of his adulthood in the self-esteem beaten out of him five or six. He was certainly that: ward calm and dignity, but he of the stand and the crowd cheer- that he was famous and loved. He English first-class cricket he by the South African system, he he made a century on his champi- was not unscathed. The frustra- ing themselves hoarse ...” wondered why the English public could have scored a similar num- was not used to being treated as a onship debut and another in his tion ran deep, naturally. He D’Oliveira and Pollock made up for the most part took him to ber of first-class hundreds, in human being. He was aghast, on second championship match. As revealed it in an anecdote in his when they toured Australia their hearts: perhaps because addition to the 43 he actually the train journey north from he had by now taken out a British autobiography, about a game in together and the latter recognised they like an underdog, he made. His early experiences made London, at being allowed to sit in passport, so that he could go on Scarborough in 1966 when he bat- the former as a fellow cricketer thought, “in the way only the him a back-foot player – the a restaurant car with white peo- cricket tours to Asia without ted against the white South and human being.

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