D'Oliveira affair dismantled apartheid in South Africa cricket arena

By A.C De Silva

There is an age-old saying that politics should not come in the way of sports, how about sports coming in the way of politics and triumphing?

Basil D’Oliveira – put aside apartheid and worked for game of cricket.

The D'Oliveira affair did just that. It has been cricket's greatest contribution to humanity. South Africa's hated apartheid (separate development policy for whites, blacks and coloured) had been going on for centuries Trade bans and other plays used by many countries had little effect. Possibly, apartheid would have still being going on but for a chain of events that started in 1968 and ended with the sports isolation of South Africa for two decades.

In a largeway, their isolation from international sports dismantled apartheid in a country that loves sports.

The Basil D'Oliveira story is inspirational. He was a promising non-white cricketer of Indian-Portuguese heritage from Cape Town who grew up in an impoverished area known as Signal Hill. He should have represented South Africa but for the colour of his skin. He was talented and popular but was debarred from representing his province or country because of being a 'Cape coloured'.

In non-white matches in Cape Town he had scored more than 50 centuries, including an aggressive innings of 225 in 70 minutes.

Drama unfolded in Ashes Series in 1968

This is how the drama unfolded. It was the 5th and final Test of the Ashes Test series at the Oval in London in August 1968, a must win Test for England as Australia was leading 1-0. D'Oliveira' was not in the original eleven but Roger Prideaux withdraw because of pleurisy and in came 'Dolly' in his place.

Rather than give up, he continued performing in minor cricket with dazzling success on matting wickets and on poor pitches. Word about this young cricketer whose talent was being ignored in the country of his birth, even reached England via prominent cricket writer John Arlott.

D'Oliveira was offered Sterling Pound 450 in 1960 to play for the Central Lancashire Leagul Club in Middleton. For his airfare to England, Sterling Pound 200 was needed and the sum was portially raised by fetes, raffles and matches held in the region of his new home in his first season for Middleton and he outscored the great Garry Sobers. Soon he was to jump ladders of fame.

'Dolly', as he was popularly known, moved from poverty in Cape Town to relative prosperity in Worcestershire and eventually to Test fame. For Worcestershire, 'Dolly' hit a century against the touring Australians in 1964 and the following season, and the following season he hit five Championship hundreds, took 35 wickets with his medium pace swing bowling and took some brilliant slip catches.

'Dolly' made Test debut 1966

In June 1966, he made his Test debut against the West Indies at Lord's. In the next Test at Trent Bridge he scored 76 and 54 followed by 88 in his third Test at Headingley. He was then 35 (or possibly 38 as his date of birth remains unclear when most cricketers are considering retirement.

His selection in the Test squad that season provoked a headline in England's 'Daily Mirror'.

'Hello Dolly'

Now to 1968 and how D'Oliveira changed the policy of racial segregation as never before. He was the catalyst behind the dismantling of apartheid in the country of his birth. Indirectly, so were the English selectors and by way of action England's medium - pacer Tom Cartwright.

This is how the drama unfolded. It was the fifth and final Test of the Ashes Test series at The oval in London in August 1968; a must win Test for England as Australia was leading 1-0. D'Oliviera was not in the original eleven but Roger Prideaux withdrew because of pleurisy and in came 'Dolly' in his place.

England won that Test by 226 runs with only five minutes to spare and drew the series 1-all. The heroes for England were Derek Underwood who capturered 7 for 50 in the second winnings and D'Oliveira who scored a lucky 158 in the first innings. He was dropped four times and in the second innings had economical figures of one wicket for one run in 5 overs, four being maidens. It was an outstanding performance. On form he was a certainty for the tour to South Africa a few minutes later.

'Dolly' trouble erupts

On the very night, England levelled the series with minutes to spare, the five man selection committee had a job in hand, to select a 16-man squad to South Africa. They faced a dilemma. D'Oliveira was a Cape Coloured and under South Africa's abhorrent apartheid laws he was considered a second class citizen, not allowed to travel to travel in the same train as the whites, to eat in the same restaurants as the whites or swim in the 'Whites only' beaches or get their children educated in the Whites' school. And certainly not play cricket with the whites. In the late 1960's, apartheid was at its worst, famous reform activist Nelson Mandela had by then started a 27-year jail term on Robben Island.

Many in England were not aware that South Africa's Prime Minister B.J. (John) Vorster had told Viscount Cobham - a former MCC President, that D'Oliveira would be un acceptable and the selectors were informed and D'Oliveira was dropped and cricket lovers in England and elswhere were shocked. Was it on a cricketing grounds or was it a political issue?

Insole criticised by many

A harassed selection chairman, Doug Insole, explained that D'Olveira's bowling did not rate highly enough for him to be considered a genuine all-rounder. No one believed this explanation and there were hours of protest in England and overseas. Most were convinced that the selectors were swayed by political pressures and their judgement was affected. The media had a field day as politicians argued, administrators resigned and a strong protest grouped formed.

A week after the selection controversy, an injured medium-pacer Tom Cartwright withdrew from the selected squad and D'Oliveira took his place. A divine intervention, no less! D'Oliveira was in Plymouth having land with his wife and friends when he heard the news and wrote in his autobiography. "The D'Oliveira Affair". It was the greatest moment.

South Africa cricket in hot water

The South African Cricket Association immediately interjected and threatened to cancel the tour if D'Oliveira was in the squad. The consequences of the tour cancellation proved disastrous for South African cricket. If it was an earthquake, it would have been on a Rickter scale of 8.5.

The D'Oliveira affair had a massive impact in turning international opinion against the oppressive apartheid regime in South Africa. It prompted changes in South African sport and eventually in society.

The South African tours to England in 1970 and to Australia in 1971-72 were cancelled due to massive demonstrations by Anti-apartheid protesters. These tours were replaced by Rest of the World teams, both including South African cricketers, Graeme and Peter Pollock, Barry Richards, Mike Proctor and Eddie Barlow for the 1970 tour to England and Graeme and Peter Pollock and Hylton Ackerman for the 1971-72 Australian tour. Both the sides were captained by the legendary all-rounder Garfield Sobers. The South African cricketers were welcomed by crowds in both countries.

Basil D'Oliveira must have died a happy man in 2011 when he saw revolutionary changes for the better, just because he was picked in the England team to tour South Africa in 1968. All he wanted was to play international cricket in the country of his birth. From 2004 on wards, the Test series between South Africa and England is named the Basil D'Oliveira Trophy.