Coloureds Likely To Boycott Test

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31772, 31 August 1968, Page 15

Coloureds Likely To Boycott Test

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

CAPE TOWN.

B. D’Oliveira’s father said in Gape Town that many Gape Coloured cricket fans would boycott the M.C.C. test match at Newlands Ground, because of his son’s exclusion from the touring team.

“Had Basil been in the team the Coloured (mixed race) community would have been at Newlands in their thousands now we are shocked and disillusioned, and dozens of our friends have told us they will boycott the test match,” Mr D’Oliveira said.

“We think we know why he was excluded, but we don’t want to discuss it. “The fact that be was excluded when he was on top of his form—when he had won a test match for England —speaks for itself.” he said. “VERY NUMB” His son said yesterday that his omission “left me very numb inside.” But he added: “Today, with, so much good will shown towards me, I do not feel so abandoned, and I know that sometime, somehow, things will be all right again. “I’ve still got a lot of cricket to play.”

Four members of Parliament joined in the controversy over D’Oliveira’s omission.

A Labour M.P., Mr Ivor Richards, wrote to the Race Relations Board asking for an urgent investigation as he suspected D’Oliveira’s colour and origin were a factor in the decision. But a member of the board, Sir Learie Constantine,

the former West Indies player, said in a statement that while as a cricketer he regretted the omission, and as a West Indian he found it suspicious, as a board member he did not think it was unlawful even if it was racial discrimination. A junior Minister, Mr Charles Loughlin, resigned from the Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in protest, saying: "The M.C.C. should have had the courage to include him irrespective of the South African apartheid policy.” INQUIRY SOUGHT

And Mr Ted Rowlands, another Labour M.P., cabled the Minister for Sport (Mr Dennis Howell) demanding an immediate inquiry into the M.C.C. decision. Cricket writers were divided over whether D’Oliveira, who contributed 158 runs to England's defeat of the Australian cricketers in the final test match, should have been selected for the tour. The commentator, John Arlott, maintained: “No-one of open mind will believe he was left out for valid cricketing reasons.” But the former Australian captain, R, Simpson, wrote: “Much as I admire D’Oliveira I would not have picked him in front of those chosen for the tour.” OUT FOR DUCK

D’Oliveira himself said little about the row.

He was busy putting his county team, Worcestershire, into a winning position against Sussex. Having scored 128 in Worcestershire’s first innings, he took three quick wickets in his first bowling spell. One of his victims was the Sussex captain, M. Griffith, son of the M.C.C. secretary (Mr Billy Griffith). He bowled him for S duck. The South African press continued its inquest on the omission of D’Oliveira.

The “Cape Argus” said in an editorial that the M.C.C., “with inherent political side issues at stake, the reckoning on D’Oliveira must have been painful. “But it is difficult to conceive that the M.C.C. would leave itself open to a charge of discrimination,” the editorial added. LOUD APPLAUSE

In Potchefstroom, members of the ruling National Party .broke into loud applause when told at a rally that D’Oliveira had been left out. Mr Lourens Muller, Minister of the Interior, interrupted an address he was giving on student unrest to tell his audience the news. The crowd started applaud-

ing as he was reading the message.

In Johannesburg, Mr Wally Hammond, president of the South African Cricket Association, said South Africa had not tried to influence the M.C.C. selection. SPEECHLESS

The British Minister for Sport/ said yesterday that the Government had been assured months ago that the M.C.C. would select the team purely on cricketing merit. “1 have no reason to suppose that they have departed from that undertaking,” he said. "On the matter of team selection, as Minister I am expected to be officially speechless, and I certainly am at the moment.”