Cricket Tour Of S.A. Condemned

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29801, 18 April 1962, Page 16

Cricket Tour Of S.A. Condemned

Disapproval of the New Zealand Cricket Council’s action in sending a cricket team to South Africa, “in defiance of the world-wide condemnation of South Africa’s racial policy." was recorded by the Canterbury Association for Racial Equality last evening.

After discussing various public statements made by the New Zealand cricket team’s manager, Mr J. G. Leggat, the meeting further resolved: “That this association does not agree that sympathy and comfort should be extended to the apartheid philosophers because, like Hitler, they have their ’problems’ and are ‘not understood.’ ”

Since the New Zealand Cricket Council had refused to meet a deputation from the association it was "no use pulling any punches” with the council, said the secretary, Mr K. Duffield, when discussion on the subject was introduced. It was no use adopting a conciliatory approach. Mr B. Kearns said that he “could not disagree more” with that view. "The associa-

tion must not get chips on its shoulders,” he said. “We made a lot of noise at the time of the last South Afri. can Rugby tour—but look what has happened. We have won. The view we Mated so strongly at the time has now got through. “Let’s keep protesting what we believe is the truth, but not expect people to say ’Yes. ot course,’ all the time.” Mr Kearns said. Mr Leggat had spoken eloquently on the political aspects of Dr. Verwoerd’s policy, but had remained virtually silent on its implications as regards sport, said the chairman. Mr C. Lewis “Somersault" Alleged

The South African Cricket Board of Control, with which the New Zealand Cricket Council had dealt, was dominated by the whites, and was not really representative of South Africa, and South African cricket as a whole, Mr Lewis said. This being so. Mr Leggat appeared to have •'somersaulted” from hit views at the time of the South African Rugby tour. A voice: He is only one swallow. Another voice: But we’ve got to wing him. Mr G. J. C. McArthur said he agreed with Mr Leggat’s public statement—and congratulated him for it—that he found the general concept of apartheid offensive because of its “rather dreadful finality." But he could not agree with Mr Leggat’s general attitude over the cricket tour, Mr McArthur said. He then moved the resolutions which the meeting passed