Cricket South Africa – It’s a happy ending like the Bollywood movies
“For the world, South African cricketers may be better known as ‘chokers’ rather ‘Springboks’ before ‘the Proteas’; but on ethics and modularity, they are cricket’s most competitive troops who have gone through anything and everything which could deprive a lot of international cricket territory.” Writes Monika Arora
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| South Africa Cricket Team Captain - Graeme Smith with his team-mates |
In the current international cricket arena, the rise of Proteas is the same saga. From 1991 to till today, the growth and impact of African cricketers are distinctive on world cricket.
Sports, in particular, define a term to bridge the gap between cultural and bilingual differences. On the contrary, it’s a rare fact that social ambiguities have created harmony for the same. History books are full of evidences claiming war like situation for the sake of communal welfare rather whole community of a nation.
Alas, the world would have been a better place to die for had there been only peace on the sovereign background.
They say, it’s easy to start but hard to sustain. And once you got a rhythm, it’s even harder to halt. But what if continuity was interrupted for an unknown period of time? The reasons could be anything! Probably, they might have forgotten to mention this – Willingness has greater impact than to its father.
Within a short span of 23-years (read as after apartheid), a racism segregated nation not only seen a world class team blossoming upfront but also has given tremendous gems to cricket in return.
From 1889, the start of Test cricket in South Africa, to 1970, they only competed against the likes of Australia, New Zealand and England. However, they once had all distinction to grow better. Not surprising as after apartheid, in 1992, they participated in the World Cup and ended their brilliant run in the semifinals.
In a glance:
The past (who shined and, still, dominating):
Do you remember Jonty Rhodes, Shaun Pollock, Allan Donald, Kepler Wessels, Hansie Cronje, Neil McKenzie, Mark Boucher and Justin Kemp? A series of momentums flash on your memory screen as you read. Too easy, NO?
The present (who are too hot to handle):
And their successors: Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn, Duminy, AB de Villiers, Morkel duos, Paul Harris, Alviro Petersen, Philander, Theorn, Botha, Lonwabo Tsotsobe and the list goes on. Modern day heroics ah!
The bearers (who just stepped up and left unbiased):
In case you might have missed,
Ashwell Prince: first black captain of the South African Test team.
Makhaya Ntini: first Black South African Test cricketer and surely the most renowned one.
The survivors (who played during the apartheid era):
Neil Adcock: first African pacer to have 100 Test wickets.
Peter van der Merwe: first captain who led to first Test series win in England in 1965.
The forgotten ones:
Barry Richards: Wisden cricketer of the year, 1969
Ali Bacher: last SA captain before apartheid
Clive Rice: Wisden cricketer of the year, 1981
Mike Procter: Wisden cricketer of the year, 1970
Eddie Barlow: captained SA during apartheid private tours, and
Graeme Pollock: best after Bradman in terms of batting average, then.
To name a few, aforementioned could have ended on a better note yet they prefer to survive within Africa rather moving to elsewhere.
And the prestigious one:
Basil D’Oliverira – a promising ‘coloured’ classified cricketer under an apartheid regime back then, has captained SA’ national non-white cricket team before migrated to England to play cricket. Had he never been selected in touring England side to SA in 1968-69, there may have not been an isolation of cricket in South Africa for next 22 years.
Though, he never got the chance to represent South Africa but was arguably played for England – courtesy his immense talent. Very few know that he has named Wisden cricketers of the year for 1967.
Enclosure:
The then government forcible policies may have banned International cricket but the efforts of numerous individual entities successfully kept cricket culture alive at domestic level. Whereas Derrick Robins, an English sports promoter, organized some private tours to South Africa in the early apartheid era.
Later in the 80s, the rebel tours of England, the West Indies and Australia ensured anti-apartheid efforts running in the background where, in 1970, ICC failed as an international ban of cricket.
For the world, South African cricketers may be better known as ‘chokers’ rather ‘Springboks’ before ‘the Proteas’; but on ethics and modularity, they are cricket’s most competitive troops, who have gone through anything and everything which could deprive a lot of international cricket territory.
