South Africa’s position key issue

Press, 23 April 1983, Page 64

South Africa’s position key issue

By

R. T. BRITTENDEN

South Africa’s position in world cricket will be one of the key issues at the June meeting of the International Cricket Conference in London. For many years, South Africa has sought membership of the conference; this time, its application will be made against a background of concern among the other cricketing nations about the strong prospect of a Gov-ernment-backed cricket circus in South Africa in the coming season. Already, a few top West Indies cricketers, as well as lesser lights, and some past their best, have played in South Africa, and have subsequently been banned from further cricket at home, by the West Indies Board of Control.

And a team of top England players has been suspended for a tour of the republic. Some years ago, New Zealand backed the admission of South Africa to the I.C.C. but not a return to test cricket. Last year, the chairman of the New Zealand Board of Control, Mr Bob Vance, moved that the South African Cricket Union be recognised as the controlling body of cricket in South Africa. The proposal was defeated.

It will come up again this time: the I.C.C. will be asked to define the controlling authority in South Africa, so that the conference can fulfil one of its primary roles — the dissemination of information, including changes in the laws, about cricket,to all

cricketing countries. Last year, the South African Cricket Union delegates were not heard nor seen by the I.C.C. It might be different this time. Again, the motion will simply by that the S.A.C.U. be recognised as the controlling body; again New Zealand will support the motion.

It is difficult to say how this scheme will be received by members of the I.C.C. The test-playing countries each have two votes, but there are 18 one-vote associate members, from Argentina to Zimbabwe.

The wholesale purchase of West Indies cricketers by South African interests might persuade the countries opposed to the readmission of South Africa that if they do not change

ground, test cricket as it is now known could well fall to the power of the rand. South Africa is clearly at the end of the road, so far as trying to win back its place in international cricket. The threat of disruption to the present test scene might not be spelled out in London, but it is there.

The New Zealand Board of Control must also be worried about the prospects of top players being in South Africa in the coming summer. The New Zealand players who went to Australia last season signed contracts requiring them to be available for New Zealand until March 31 — the end of the season. The contracts for the players who will take part in the World Cup tourna-

ment in England in June, and in the subsequent fourtest tour, are still to be drawn up. The probability is that they will also include an availability clause. The situation might then arise that top New Zealand players decide to pick up the rieh rewards South Africa is offering. They would almost certainly be banned from playing for New Zealand again as New Zealand can hardly fail to follow the lead of England and the West Indies.

The Sports Foundation has given New Zealand’s core of cricket professionals strong financial backing in the last few years. Whether it is prepared to hand out money to any who play in South Africa is very doubtful.

Already, a sum in excess

of $40,000 as grants to New Zealand professional cricketers has been mentioned.

Mr Vance will say nothing about that at present, because the foundation has yet to ratify the recommendations of the grants committee.

The present situation is an explosive one, for world cricket. The shock waves, if there are any, will certainly reach New Zealand. Meanwhile the Press Association reports that a number of leading names in New Zealand cricket will be among 18,000 members of the Marylebone Cricket Club (M.C.C.) to receive ballot forms over the next month to vote on a proposal to send an M.C.C. team to South Africa.

A two-thirds majority will

be required for the team to be sent and the result will be announced at a special meeting of the club in London on July 13. Anybody is free to apply for membership of the M.C.C. and the club has also bestowed honorary membership on many prominent cricketers.

The batsman, Mark Burgess, and the fast bowler, Richard Collinge, two of the mainstays of New Zealand cricket in the 19705, were the last New Zealanders to be honoured.

An M.C.C. spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel John Stephenson, said yesterday that the club was still working out all the details of the ballot: “As you can imagine it’s a big exercise because we have members spread all over the world,” he

A Conservative M.P., John Carlisle, has forced the M.C.C. committee to arrange the ballot because he maintains international cricket is facing a crisis and must take a new initiative on South Africa. Both he and the committee will attach their arguments for and against the tour to South Africa to the postal ballot forms.

The committee has already warned that such a tour could prompt a split between the white and nonwhite test playing nations. The special meeting will be held on the eve of the first test between England and New Zealand at the Oval and has been scheduled to avoid clashing with the World Cup in June.