JOHANNESBURG: World cricketing legend Sir Garfield Sobers arrived in South Africa on Tuesday and reduced some of his welcoming party to tears by telling them what could have been during their decades of apartheid isolation.
Sobers, who set numerous records during a sensational career, paid tribute to South Africans such as batsman Graeme Pollock and all- rounder Clive Rice who missed Test careers because of Pretoria’s race policies.
“It was such a great pity that a player like Graeme Pollock never got the chance to prove himself on the pitches of the world,” 54-year- old Sobers told a news conference.
Pollock, who was at the airport with senior officials to greet Sobers, wept as the West Indian doyen of the game talked of South Africa’s exclusion. Fellow former Spring- bok Jackie Mc Glew stood beside Pollock, fighting back the tears.
“I always wished that the opportunities were there for South Africa to play the West Indies in my day. The chance never came to prove which the better team was, “he said.
Sobers has arrived in South Africa to attend Saturday’s inauguration of the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA), the new nonracial body which is spear- heading the Springbok’s return to the intentional scene.
He was accompanied by Austin Sealy, President of the Barbados Olympic Association, and influence- Hal British cricketing writer Jim Swanton.
The International Cricket Conference is to decide next month at its meeting in London whether to re- admit South Africa in the light of the repeal of apartheid legislation and the success in unifying rival, racially-aligned controlling bodies, Ali Bacher, managing director of
CALCUTTA: The Indian cricket team’s tour of Australia this winter has been curtailed by a month.
According to Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the Indian team would now leave for Australian in mid-November and return after the World Cup which would end on March 24, 1992
“We had a tussle with the Australian Board for this re-adjustment,” he said,
The following is the tour itinerary-
November I$ to 18-India versus Western Australia,
November 21 to India versus New South Wales country
November 23 to 26-India versus New South Wales,
November 29 to December 3-First test at Brisbane
December 6-(BHWS) India versus a West Indies at Perth
December 8-(BHWS) India versus Australia at Perth
December 10-(BHWS) India versus Australia at Hoban
December 14-(BHWS) India versus West Indies at Adelaide
December 1S-(BHWS) India versus Australia at Adelaide
December 17-India versus prime minister’s eleven
December 20 to 23-India versus Queensland
December 26 to 30-second Teat Melboume .
January 2 to 6-third Test Sydney January
11-(BHWS) Index versus West Indies at Brisbane ;
January 14-(BHWS) India versus Australia at Sydney (day/night match)
Article extracted from this publication >> July 12, 1991
