CRICKET TOUR DECISION Total Ban On Edinburgh Games By Many Likely

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32302, 21 May 1970, Page 11

CRICKET TOUR DECISION Total Ban On Edinburgh Games By Many Likely

(N.Z.P A.-Reuter—Copyright)

LONDON, May 20.

Threat of a total boycott by African, Caribbean and Asian countries of the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games grew today after the British decision to go ahead with a cricket tour by an all-white South African team.

Amid pressure on England’s cricket authorities by anti-apartheid demonstrations, and the chance of the multi-racial games failing in July, South African cricket authorities were jubilant over the go-ahead for their tour.

South Africa’s Government has made no official statement on the Cricket Council’s decision yesterday on the tour due to begin on June 1.

In Lagos, the president of the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa. Mr Abraham Ordia, said last night that African countries would definitely boycott the Commonwealth Games if the tour took place.

In England, Sir Herbert Brechin, chairman of the main organising committee of the games, said: “We are bitterly disappointed. Hundreds of people have been working for years to make the 1970 Games successful and there is no doubt that the threats of withdrawals by countries will become realities.” Mr Ordia said: “We are not just threatening We will not go if the tour goes on.” “We are sorry to be mak ing this a political thing as this is not our intention,” Mr Ordia said. He added that his council! was “sorry for the organising committee in Edinburgh, I know what this will mean to! them.” Fourteen countries have so] far threatened to pull out of, the games if the tour goes on | They are 10 African nations: plus India, Pakistan, Malay-! sia and Jamaica. Thirteen of the 42 countries invited to Edinburgh are! African States.

In Bridgetown, Barbados, an Olympic Association official said: “It would not be surprising if we announce we will not be participating in the (Commonwealth) Games. ’ Informed sources in Bridgetown said that the decision of some countries to pull out of the Edinburgh games had caused “strong effects” and a loss of enthusiasm by local sporting bodies.

The Barbados association, considering only four athletes for the games because of fin ancial pressure, might now have good reasons to shelve the whole idea, sources added. The West Indies Cricket Board of Control said in Bridgetown that the English cricket council had made “a most regrettable decision” that could not be readily assessed at this time. It was hoped that mounting pressure of responsible opinion would have caused the cancellation of the tour, it said. The West Indies board secretary, Mr Peter Short, said that it was a happy consolation that the Cricket Council had decided there would be no further Springbok tours until South African cricket was played, and its teams selected, on a multi-racial basis.

In Guyana, the sports editors of the Governmentcontrolled radio station termed as “old-style colonial diplomacy” the statement that there would be no more tours until South African cricket was multi-racial. He said that the decision

might lead to bloodshed in England and the end of international cricket. The president of Guyana’s major cricket club, Demerara, Mr Fred Wills, said he supported a boycott of the Commonwealth Games in the interests of sports in. general. Mr R. Illingworth, England’s captain last season said: “I'm absolutely delighted with the decision. I’ve always said the tour should take place and 1 still feel that way.

“If the demonstrators can't behave themselves, they should be stopped. They should not be allowed to disrupt the matches.” The Society for Individual Freedom said that it sent a telegram to the Cricket Council congratulating it “on their final decision to maintain a resolute and courageous stand in the face of serious threats of intimidation.

“The leaders of the three main political parties should now state publicly their support for the right of the individual to pursue his lawful activities free from interruption,” the society said.

The South African Finance Minister (Mr Nicolaas Diederichs), who is deputising for the Prime Minister (Mr John Vorster), during his visits to Malawi and Rhodesia, was asked about Britain's proviso that future teams should be selected on merit. He replied: “The Government’s policy on the sports question is well known.” This sounded a grim note for the future, but for the

moment South Africans are happy that this tour at least is going ahead. The team captain, Dr A. Bacher, said: “1 fully welcome the M.C.C. decision. They have the qualities which I admire—courage, character and determination.”

Dr Bacher—who works at a non-white hospital—said he personally would not have objected to the inclusion of nonwhites on merit in the present team.