SOUTH AFRICAN CRICKET NOW IN ISOLATION

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32708, 10 September 1971, Page 11

SOUTH AFRICAN CRICKET NOW IN ISOLATION

(N.Z.P.A. -Reuter—Copyright) SYDNEY, Sept. 9. Australia has joined the rest of the world in refusing to play cricket with South Africa, in spite of the belief of her Prime Minister (Mr McMahon) that most Australians oppose the decision. The cancellation of an invitation to Dr Ali Bacher’s team to tour Australia this year was announced last night in Sydney after a meeting of the Australian Board of Control for International Cricket. Mr McMahon- commented after hearing the decision: “I believe the board’s vote was cast unanimously because its 13 members had obviously taken account of the possibility that a minority of Australians would be prepared to go to extremes to disrupt the tour.

“1 appreciate that a great majority of Australians wanted the tour to proceed, but I recognise the board’s problem in arranging a successful tour in the face of the difficulties.” The Leader of the Labour Opposition (Mr Gough Whitlam) praised the board’s decision. “It is a tribute to its members’ common sense and patriotism,” he said. “Australia could not have afforded the damage to her society at home, and to her reputation abroad, that this tour would have done.” ‘Divisive bitterness’

The board’s chairman, the former test player, Sir Donald Bradman, himself announced the cancellation, which, he said, had been made with great regret. “The board felt that it was in the best interests of Australia, of the game of cricket, and of all those associated with it, that the tour should not take place,” he said. "The tour has been cancelled because of the divisive bitterness it would have aroused in Australia, because of the physical and financial strain of trying to police pro-test-picketed matches, and because of-the difficulties of playing cricket in such conditions. “While there was substantial evidence that very many Australians felt that the tour should go on, the board was made equally aware of the widespread disapproval of the South African Government’s racial policy, which restricts the selection of South Africa’s team. “The board wishes to comtnend the South African Cricket Association, and its players, for their courageous stand against the South African Government’s apartheid policy in cricket. “It earnestly hopes that the South African Government will, in the near future, so relax laws that the cricketers of South Africa may once

again take their place as full participants in the international field. And the board will give its utmost support to the South African Cricket Association to try to bring about this end.” British comment There has been world-wide reaction to Australia’s decision. In London, under the heading, “The Isolation of South African Sport,” an editorial in “The Times” says in part: “The effect of the decision is to intensify the isolation of South African sportsmen from international competition. “The South African cricket team —which happens, ironically, to be probably the finest the country has ever produced —is unable to play any side worthy of its mettle. “In other sports, as well, the doors are being shut against South Africa. Whether this is the most farsighted or appropriate way of expressing disapproval of apartheid is almost ceasing to be a relevant question. “The facts speak for themselves. Whatever the sporting authorities or the Government concerned may wish, it has in a number of countries become physically impossible to hold a sporting contest against South Africa, and it is especially significant that this should now ■ have been conceded in Australia, which has not, in the past, been numbered among South Africa’s more vociferous critics.” D’Oliveira’s view Basil d’Oliveira, England’s Cape Coloured all-rounder, has called on the South African Government to Change its attitude towards multi-racial sport. “I am extremely sorry that this has happened from the game’s point of view, and clearly it is now up to the South African Government to take some action. Cricketers everywhere, myself and South African test Cricketers included, have repeatedly said that they are prepared

to play against anybody, anywhere, at any time. “There is nothing more we can do. It is up to the South African Government to change its policy towards multi-racial sport, or accept that South Africa is going to be isolated. This will eventually apply to all sports—which none of us wants.” ‘Great tragedy’ The Bishop of Woolwich, (the Rt Rev. David Sheppard) a former test cricketer, welcomed the news of Australia’s decision. “I believe that this is an international issue, and that to have soldiered on with the tour would have done serious damage to international cricket,” he said. “. . . It is a great tragedy for the superb individual South African players, but their plight must be seen in the context of the fact that 30,000 black cricketers in South Africa are also denied the right to play whom they want.” The influential Afrikaanslanguage Cape Town newspaper, “Die Burger,” said: “the phenomenon that a violent gang can dictate to a majority and the authorities in a democratic country, as has now happened, is a characteristic of our stormy times. . . . One cannot in the circumstances, criticise the Australian decision.” The English - language “Natal Mercuty” commented: "Cricket has just acquired a new pile of Ashes—the cremated remains of South Africa’s brilliant test record over the years. “The Prime Minister’s tortuous sports policy, for which the hapless Minister of Sports (Mr Frank Waring) is now the chief whipping boy has availed nothing. “Once again the lesson has been driven home that increasing isolation on many fronts is part of the price South Africans are paying for apartheid. And once again they must ask themselves: Is it worth it?” A Rhodesian newspaper, the “Bulawayo Chronicle," commented: “Deplorable as their conduct unquestionably is, anti-apartheid demonstrators chose wisely when directing their .campaign against South Africa’s ‘soft underbelly’—her sport. “Whether Mr Vorster and his colleagues like it or not, the hard truth now is that

South Africa is virtually finished in international sport unless she changes her racial policy.” Players, administrators and the general public, in South Africa, reacted with dismay to the anticipated, but still unwelcome, decision and some immediately laid the blame on the country’s leaders. «. “The final nail has been knocked into South Africa’s cricket coffin. We are now totally isolated,” commented Dr Ali Bacher, who was to have captained the touring side. Asked whether he thought South Africa would be allowed back into world cricket if the Government changed its policies and allowed the game to be played multiracially. Dr Bacher said: “You’d better ask Mr Waring that.” Waring’s view Mr Waring said in a prepared statement today that cancellation of the tour was a great disappointment to him, personally, but had to be seen against the fact that, right from the start, in South Africa white and non-white players had formed themselves into separate clubs. “This separation was done voluntarily, and not because they were forced by any apartheid law or by any government to do so,” Mr Waring said. “The white South African Cricket Association entered into certain international relationships in various countries. The non-white unions apparently never felt any desire to do so. In fact, the two cricket bodies are not even affiliated. “The Australian Cricket Board was aware of this, right from the start, when they sent touring sides to South ’ Africa and invited Springbok sides to tour their country.” “Whatever the rest of the world may think or do, we in South Africa are not prepared to hand over our country to anarchy, even when it is disguised by the demand for multi-racial sport. “We in our country are lovers of sport, but there are national interests which go far beyond even our desire to maintain international sporting contacts. I “It is not South Africa, but , law and order, that have lost ;lthe day.”