Bacher relying on Mandela's influence (7 November 1998)

7 November 1998

Bacher relying on Mandela's influence

By Charles Randall

NO EXTRA money was offered to resolve the escalating South Africa tour dispute yesterday, but there were realistic hopes that personal letters from Nelson Mandela, delivered to the disaffected West Indies players in London, would resolve the crisis.

With the cancellation of the West Indies' three-month tour of South Africa still a possibility, Ali Bacher, managing director of the South African United Cricket Board, was hoping that the President's influence would settle the impasse between the players and the impoverished West Indies Board.

Though the West Indies Board had seemed adamant that their unanimous disciplinary decision from Wednesday's emergency meeting in Antigua must stand, Bacher disclosed yesterday that the authorities were prepared to be "flexible".

He held a three-hour meeting with Clive Lloyd, tour manager, and Joel Garner, representing the West Indies Board, to weigh up events, and he said afterwards there would "definitely" be no more money on the table.

The tour crisis has capped a bad year for the West Indies Board, who have lost their main sponsor Red Stripe, the Jamaican brewing company. Their most spectacular mistake was the production of a dangerous pitch in Jamaica, which caused the abandonment of the opening Test against England in January, leading to outrage in the tourist industry.

Less serious, but embarrassing, was the sending of a team to the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa with seven over-age players, who had to be expelled from the tournament.

A chronic shortage of money and an element of island rivalry are two factors that have strained relations between the senior players and the board.

With this background, Bacher had to lean towards what he called the "special political significance" of the five-Test tour, which the players knew would fall short of money-making trips to Australia or England.

The first match, a one-dayer against Nicky Oppenheimer's XI, is scheduled for Tuesday.

Clayton Lambert, one of the tour players, was reported as saying: "If everybody is sensible, we can get back there within a couple of days."

Mandela plea to rebel cricketers

By David Millward

CLUTCHING an envelope bearing a personal plea from Nelson Mandela to the 16 rebel West Indies cricketers, Ali Bacher bounced between hotels at Heathrow trying to save the Caribbean side's first tour to post-apartheid South Africa.

But Mr Bacher, the managing director of the United Cricket Board of South Africa, insisted that no extra money would be presented by his board to resolve the pay row which is threatening the tour due to start on Tuesday.

Mr Bacher, who arrived in London yesterday after an overnight flight from South Africa, walked half a mile from his hotel to meet Clive Lloyd, the West Indies manager, and WICB member Joel Garner, at their hotel.

The dispute centres on a series of contractual disputes between the team and the West Indies Cricket Board. Players, who will receive between £10,000 and £37,500 for the three-month tour have complained about allowances and that they have not been paid for the time spent training. Seven West Indies players flew to London from South Africa yesterday to join nine team-mates who arrived on Tuesday after the West Indies board sacked Brian Lara and Carl Hooper, the captain and vice-captain, ostensibly for refusing to attend a disciplinary hearing.

"I'm sure the letter from the president will have a great impression on the West Indies players," said Mr Bacher before walking back to his hotel to await a resolution.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)