A touch of South African irony (27 April 1999)

27 April 1999

A touch of South African irony

Trevor Chesterfield

CAPE TOWN (South Africa) History could not have scripted better, yet most analysts failed to recognise the messages of irony as the day's events unfolded.

About three hours before Dr Ali Bacher announced his gradual withdrawal from his high profile post as managing director of the United Cricket Board, the 21-year-old icon of the board's transformation programme, Makhaya Ntini was convicted on rape charges.

Both events were some 900 kilometres apart: one was in a court of law, a public condemnation of a young man who had been the UCB's main thrust of player affirmative action policy; the second was at a media conference and embargoed for Saturday evening.

Whatever the outcome of Ntini's appeal, the politicians who for more than a year helped push the UCB to "fast track" players of colour into a system where some are having difficulty to adjust, should also shoulder some blame. Their often heavy-handed pressure tactics on sports administrators, which has been heavily criticised, has not been noted for a balanced opinion.

There were politicians who this past summer encouraged black youngsters to identify with the West Indies players. The new generation brought up since isolation ended had been fed a diet of Windies invincibility; some of this came from the Total Triangular series and they wanted a taste of further success.

From this, so the argument went they were hoping to find new heroes to use as role models rather than seek them among South African players.

It is simple enough, and a fact of life of the modern age: they wanted someone with whom they could identify and found no one apart from Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose among the seniors and Chanderpaul and Darren Ganga among the juniors.

Such expectations were too high and placed pressures on the system not encountered since the days leading to, and the aftermath of, the Gatting rebel tour (without the political demonstrations).

Along with the attendant side bars of history in the making during those often fractious yet fruitful months: sport was seeking a direction and new identity; yet many administrators were fragmented in their thinking and had no philosophy to cope with the force of political changes in an era of traumatic transformation. Many are still battling.

Now black pride has taken another bruising and the politicians are muted in their comment. Even the South African side for the World Cup is being supported and the Department of Sport and Recreation hold a farewell dinner for the side on Friday night with Herschelle Gibbs the only player of colour in the side.

One interesting perception among the underprivileged from all this is that they look on players such as Paul Adams, Gibbs and Ntini as representing their community. They may have had a better education through the bursary system or because their parents could afford it, but they are still representative of the people. In Ntini's case, you cannot blame the system for a bad egg.

As for the Doc's announcement of his gradual withdrawal, e-tv, a local independent station broke with tradition and the embargo. Then, with the typical arrogance of South African electronic media, e-tv "pleaded negligence" for ignoring the embargoed the by some 23 hours. They claimed there had been "no deliberate attempt to break any embargo placed on the information."

The television station then tried to butter up the situation with the sort of "pat us on the back for being jolly good fellows" comment, saying it had enjoyed a good relationship with the UCB as evidenced through coverage of the Wills International Cup and extensive ongoing news around UCB initiatives and development programme.

Interesting that last bit of tacky public relations publicity. They ignored the announcement of the South African World Cup squad for six hours after it had been announced, and when they finally aired the item, it was pushed in as an afterthought. There was no mention of course that SuperSport ceded the Wills Cup to them as it clashed with SuperSport's programming at the time.

Don't let the facts get in the way of a good thumbsuck.

In any event rumours have been in circulation for some months that Dr Bacher would be moving out of the office he has held since 1981 (firstly with the South African Cricket Union) and then led the unification struggle. They had surfaced on occasions and while they perhaps caught some by surprise it was his way of stepping out of one port folio into another and perhaps preparing for a third in four years time came as no surprise.

Now 57 it might seems that his role of handling the 2003 World Cup organising committee is a way of easing into retirement. This would be fanciful thinking as there is a more global post for the man now devoting his time end energy to international development of the game. As it is the UCB and the game have to move on and the timing of the announcement seem to be the right one.

He sees the 2003 World Cup as a "unique opportunity for the United Cricket Board of South Africa to put together a global event with great distinction for our country.

''It is a great opportunity and a unique occasion for South African cricket and I will do my best to make it a great success.''

The last captain of South Africa's "Springboks" in 1970, he knows all about success, and the trials which go with it. He has been the brains trust behind South Africa's development and transformation drive and a major player in talks in 1990 and 1991 to unite the game which became a catalyst for other sports in the country to follow.

Source :: Trevor Chesterfield, Pretoria News