S.A.’s cricket case heard

Press, 29 May 1978, Page 28

S.A.’s cricket case heard

The discussion in Christchurch this week-end between representatives of the South African Cricket Union and members of the New Zealand Cricket Council Board of Control were described last night as “very informative” by the chairman of the board (Mr W. A. Hadlee). The representatives of the two-year-old Cricket Union, Messrs Raschid Varachia (the president of the body), Boon Wallace and Joe Parmensky, were in New Zealand as part of a trip through cricketing countries of the world to outline the development of multi-racial cricket in South Africa.

A statement released by the Board of Control following the meeting said the South African delegation had given a “full and detailed report in regard to the position of cricket in South Africa and the progress of the

introduction of non-racial cricket.” The meeting, which was also attended by the chairman of the Australian Cricket Board, (Mr R. J. Parash), was told that the formation of the South African Cricket Union had not only provided the opportunity for one national controlling body to represent all cricketers, but also for merit selection, club-level play and upward on a non-racial basis, and the sharing of facilities on a common basis. “We had the benefit of listening to discussions and an up-to-date position on the state of multi-racial cricket in South Africa,” said Mr Hadlee last night. He said

the meeting had been told that cricket was now fully integrated in that country, and was completely non-rac-ial. Mr Hadlee said that a full report of the meeting would be given to the cricketing

administrations of both Australia and New Zealand when they meet in late June. The International Cricket Conference will meet in London in July, but Mr Hadlee was uncertain whether the question of South Africa’s admission to the I.C.C. would be discussed. He said the agenda for the conference had already been made up

However, he said he thought an approach of some kind would eventually be made by South Africa,

South Africa has been in the cricketing wilderness since 1970, when it played in its last international series at home against Australia, New Zealand’s last contact with South Africa was in this country in 1963/64.

A different interpretation of the visit by the representatives of the Cricket Union was given by the Citizens

Association for Racial Equality in a telegram to the New Zealand Board of Control this week-end. The telegram alleges that the three South African cricket officials are creatures of the South African Government. Elaborating on this point in Auckland yesterday, the secretary of C.A.R.E. and the association’s spokesman on sport said the authentic spokesmen of South African cricket, such as Mr Hassan Howa, were repeatedly denied passports when they applied to travel overseas to present the case for non-rac-ial cricket in that country.

Mr Varrachia and his friends had no such difficulty because they were carrying a message which the South African Government wanted disseminated abroad, said the spokesman. Mr Howa has stated that “there can be no normal sport in an abnormal society.”