South Africa boss pledges full support to tour (5 November 1998)

5 November 1998

South Africa boss pledges full support to tour

Tony Becca

Brian Lara or no Brian Lara, Carl Hooper or no Carl Hooper, the West Indies tour to South Africa will go on and every effort will be made, by the South Africans, to make it a memorable and unforgettable one.

So says Dr. Ali Bacher, the managing director of the United Cricket Board of South Africa.

"No individual, or individuals, is bigger than the game," said the former South African captain speaking from Johannesburg yesterday. "The game must go on, the game will go on. The UCBSA will now have to make every effort to ensure that it is not only a success, but also memorable and unforgettable."

According to Bacher, the events of the past 48 hours have been extraordinary.

"The tour has been arranged for such a long time, and the people of South Africa have been waiting to see the West Indians in action - especially Lara," Bacher said.

"We have been marketing it daily in the media, we have carried full-page promotions showing great West Indian players of the past, Lara and Cronje, Donald and Ambrose. It is a pity that this should happen, and at this stage, but we have to move on. We simply have to work harder, change our strategy, and market it another way."

Bacher continued: "This tour is more than cricket, and it goes beyond bat and ball. This tour is about relationship between the West Indies and the new South Africa."

Efforts to speak to West Indies manager Clive Lloyd were unsuccessful. It is understood, however, that he had a long meeting with the players already in South Africa.

According to sources in South Africa, the meeting took place after Lloyd was told of the results of the emergency meeting of the West Indies Board in Antigua and that it was all about keeping the players motivated.

Source :: The Jamaica Gleaner (https://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/)