Dr. Ali Bachar, who played a major role in South Africa’s return to international cricket in 1991 with a three-match ODI series in Kolkata, Gwalior and New Delhi in November 1991, is angered by the accusation of present-day domination. Test cricket matches by India, England and Australia. “It’s absurd and wrong,” he said during an exclusive interview to News18. com.
Summarizing South Africa’s achievements and failures over the past thirty years, Hansie Cronje, the former South African captain, a smart administrator who led the 2003 ICC World Cup in South Africa, promoted Hansie Cronje extensively, to the following music: The ICC ban on Cronje for match-fixing, who has gone through the test of facing trials and played his part in bringing about the change (integration of black cricketers into the system) at the behest of the African National Congress-led government, believes that different teams has competed well in the last three decades. But our batting is weak now. We have fast bowlers,” he said during a telephone interview from Johannesburg. He welcomed the promotion of cricket in the Olympics and said that “cricket should be a sport of seven sides in the Olympics.”
Excerpts:
It has been nearly three decades since South Africa returned to mainstream cricket after years of apartheid ban from 1970 to 1991. How would you sum up South Africa’s performance over this period?
For the last three decades, until recently, South African cricket has been really successful. We were isolated from 1970 to 1991, but from the moment we were re-inducted into the ICC (as full members), we became a force in world cricket. There is no question about that. We have produced some great players in the last three decades.
You were primarily responsible for promoting Hansie Cronje as a leader of the South African cricket team immediately after the apartheid years. Would you say, even the match-fixing that embarrass Cronje was the worst in the last thirty years?
Well, it devastated me. When he was in his twenties, I saw him as a very successful South African Test captain in the future. Leaders are born, you cannot make leaders. Hansie Cronje had leadership qualities. I saw it early. I inspired him. Some people thought that I had given him too much scope to work on his own. But I thought he was a natural leader.
And when those things came up, I couldn’t believe it. It destroyed him, his family and his friends. It broke the hearts of all South Africans because two years before this tragedy, a marketing company had researched soccer, tennis, rugby, cricket, tennis and more with various population groups such as whites, Africans, coloured, Indians and Hansi. had received. He became a reflection of Afrikaans in New South Africa and a very senior figure in South African life.
There was one particular moment that broke my heart and that was when he called me. The late Percy Son, who was the chairman of the United Cricket Board of South Africa, had heard that Hansie was playing cricket on the beach. He publicly stated that he should also be banned from playing cricket on the beach, he has been banned for life. He called me and it broke my heart.
Well, the country has turned against me. They felt that I had not supported them enough. He was banned for life. It was the decision of the ICC. Hansie Cronje is still heavily supported today. He had become a formidable figure in an unusual society.
Has the aspect of change affected South African cricket in recent times?
At least we talk about it now. When we came back to world cricket in 1991, the cricketers were all white, because under apartheid black cricketers never had grounds, facilities and coaches. We continued with the whites and maintained a good standard.
When we were unified in the early 1990s, South Africa’s national cricketers were all white. We went to the 1992 World Cup in Australia with a black cricketer (Omar Henry). The African National Congress was overjoyed that change would take time.
When West Indies came in 1998–99, South Africa defeated them 5–0. The then sports minister late Steve Schwete called me. The ANC was telling him: “Sports minister, what is happening. There are no changes. South African cricket is almost entirely white.”
Steve came to Centurion at the end of the last game. I called a meeting of the main board. And Steve asked where is the change?
There were going to be seven ODIs. Fourteen were picked by the selectors and they picked three additional black players. We beat West Indies and everyone was happy. I called a team meeting and in a nice way I told them: “Listen, this is a new political era. Change has to happen. We can’t go ahead with the white South African team. ANC will turn against us. So we have to change. Hansi did not like what I said and walked out of the meeting. He went to Bloemfontein and disappeared for three days and reappeared in Johannesburg. After that our relationship was never the same again. He (Cronje) believed that there should have been more praise as South Africa beat West Indies 5-0 in the Test series. Fair enough.
But I stick to what I did that day, I did the right thing. I saw the writing on the wall. We had to be a part of a new era and we had to face it. And we did so. We lost a lot of players. But the standard of cricket in schools is still good. We still have a very strong school cricket. We still continue to produce top class fast bowlers. We don’t have a problem here. Dale Steyn told me Kagiso Rabada is our best. But our batting has declined in the last few years. We don’t have Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Graham Smith anymore. In such a situation, when India’s fast bowlers come here, there will be a problem in batting. Our batting is weak. It is not as strong as it used to be.
There have also been administrative and governance issues in recent times?
The leadership of the cricket administration in South African cricket has been shameful. Hardly anyone knows about cricket. It is common knowledge, and I have from credible authority, that each national body of 14 members was receiving 150000 to 200000 rand each year for attending the meetings. He’s gone now. Now there is hope. Our Sports Minister has prepared a new framework to govern SA Cricket. It will be headed by two highly respected advocates, Lawson Naidu and Steven Budlander; Both are passionate about the game. They do not bring any goods. They are top class South Africans. They are in charge and I have spoken to them. Another plus is that Andrew Hudson is also on the new board and he will chair the cricket committee. We have good fast bowlers and a new administration. Our problem will be our batting.
But is Graeme Smith also part of the administration?
A. His story is extraordinary. He is the only Test captain to have led his country in more than a hundred Tests (108). He is new to administration. If he, like me, gets around to mentoring and mentoring senior people, he’ll be fine. If he tries to do everything on his own, he’s going to run into problems. He has no experience of cricket administration. Look, if he’s smart enough to have some smart people around him, that’d be cool.
South Africa had many great bowlers like Allan, Donald, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. How do you rate the current lot?
In my opinion, the three best South African bowlers are Neil Adcock, Dale Steyn and Allan Donald. And I would rate Stan as the best of them all. Steyn was quick, bowled late swingers and knew how to reverse swing the ball. And perhaps most importantly, he was a great competitor. He used to bowl as fast at 5 in the evening as he used to bowl at 10 in the morning. And he says Kagiso Rabada will be our best fast bowler, he will not.
Have also seen batsmen like Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla, Smith, AB de Villiers, Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs in the last 30 years? All the best batsmen. South Africa doesn’t have that much batting ability now. Why so?
I cannot answer this question. Apart from Joe Root, it is quite common to see England batting against India. We have the same problem. They have Mark Boucher (South Africa coach) who has played 147 Tests. He is a tough competitor and mentally tough. he is in charge. Two hours of de Villiers can change a Test match. Smith’s batting average as an opener is 49.
South Africa has played 273 Tests in the last thirty years and won 131. Are you happy with these numbers? It’s almost even-Stevens with England, but not so much against Australia?
The great Steve Waugh never won a test series in India. Our team has adapted to the conditions in the subcontinent. I think our team has been better than other non-Asian teams like Australia, New Zealand, West Indies and England. We have a very good record in the subcontinent. The credit for this goes to South African cricket. There are two sides to playing against Australia. We are on par with Australia (51 wins/48 losses) in One Day Internationals. Generally speaking, Australia is the only team in the last thirty years that has outperformed us. Steve Waugh has had some of Australia’s most incredible and great cricketers; He was one of the greatest Test competitors in my opinion. Then Shane Warne, the greatest leg-spinner of all time. Then Glenn McGrath, one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time; Then Ricky Ponting, a great batsman. Australia has done well by producing some great cricketers. We fought against these people.
South Africa, and what would you be looking forward to touring India in December-January? The tour didn’t happen last year because of the pandemic.
A. The big problem is that South Africa is going through a peak virus. It is very strong in the Cape and Eastern Cape at this time. There is some speculation that there could be a fourth wave at the end of the year. This could become an issue. But if this is to happen, and if Indians cannot come here, there will be dire consequences for South African cricket; For the players, for the people and for the country. We need India here because we have had very good relations for the last thirty years. These days India is the best Test team in the world along with Australia. There is no question about that. The reason for this is that for the first time India has got some good fast bowlers.
I am a big fan of India captain Virat Kohli. He’s pushing his players, he’s on the ball; And in many ways, he reminds me of an Australian, a South African! He is confident and he wants India to succeed. I just hope that this virus gets over so that India can come here and we can have a great Test series.
What are you reading about world cricket now? Test cricket, ODI and Twenty20. Also, IPL, Big Bash, PSL, CPL and The Hundred are there now?
The biggest problem in world cricket now is that it is dominated by Australia, India and England. Where else do you get it, England have 17 Test matches to play. this is absurd. Whereas countries like Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies are shying away from conducting some Test matches. this is wrong. Three countries cannot dominate world cricket. Bangladesh has taken a long time to come, but they have just defeated Australia 4-1 in the Twenty20 series. You cannot allow the game to be controlled and manipulated by the three countries. I completely oppose what is happening in world cricket today.
The whole game is about money, and the money is in these leagues. There are sponsors. There are crowds and TV spectators. Unfortunately you can’t stop it. In five or ten years time people may or may not like Test cricket. Who knows? Australia and England will play Ashes for a hundred years. But what will happen to Test cricket in other parts? You watch a Test match in West Indies, there is no one there. This is a worrying aspect. The domination of three countries should stop.
What are your thoughts on cricket entering the Olympics?
it’s a great idea. But not eleven-a-side cricket, but seven-a-side, like rugby. You will get a large audience. Why shouldn’t it be seven-sided. Why not? The Olympics is the largest sporting event in the world. Why shouldn’t cricket be a part of it? Rules are subject to change; it has to be done. Those changes are not insurmountable.
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