Political storm looms over cricket tour

Press, 2 March 1982, Page 34

Political storm looms over cricket tour

NZPA London A political storm is looming over the “clandestine” visit to South Africa of a cricket team led by Geoff Boycott.

Bob Hughes, the Labour M.P. for Aberdeen North, and chairman of the: AntiApartheid Movement, is submitting an emergency question in the Commons today in which he will urge that the players on the trip — whom he accuses, of having accepted “cheques of blood” — should be banned from playing professional cricket in Britain.

Meanwhile, John Carlisle, Conservative member for Luton West, is tabling a Commons motion congratulating the cricketers on their “courage” in undertaking the tour, which he said would bring “enormous benefit and pleasure to the multi-racial crowds in South Africa.” .

Mr Hughes said yesterday: “This is absolutely disgraceful. There is no doubt that by going in this clandestine way they are well aware' that this cricket tour will bolster the apartheid regime. “I am very sad that Geoff Boycott and others should have rushed to South Africa the moment cheques of blood were put into their hands.

“At the moment trade unionists and others in South Africa are being tortured in prisons, yet here we have people willing to play for blood money.” Five of the England cricket team, just returned from the tour of India, are among 12 players risking their test careers by going to play in South Africa. Geoff Boycott, sent home early from India, Graham Gooch, John Emburey, Derek Underwood and John Lever are in the side for what the South African cricket authorities describe as an “international competition,” with South Africa playing an ‘‘England” team in three “tests” this month.

The players were warned by the Test and County Cricket Board before the left Britain that they were jeopardising their test futures. Nine arrived in Johannesburg yesterday and three are due there today..

The other seven are the test players, Dennis Amiss, Mike Hendrick, Alan Knott, Wayne Larkins, Chris Old and Peter Willey, and the uncapped Les Taylor, of Leicestershire. Substantial sums are believed to be have been offered to the players to compensate for the possible end of test careers through their involvement in South

Africa, banned since 1970 from international competition over its apartheid policies.

Mr Peter Lush, the spokesman for the Test and .County Cricket Board, said that players were contacted when the tour was learnt about last Friday. “Some said they were not going and some were very non-committal, playing it very close to their chests.” Mr Lush added that the players were reminded that they could jeopardise their test futures and that Government policy was directed at preventing representative teams from going to South Africa.

Last August, when an autumn tour of South Africa was rumoured, the board warned: “We wish to make it clear that any cricketer who takes part in any such international or representative match in South Africa could make himself ineligible for future selection for England.” ’ With four of the test countries coloured, and India and Pakistan due in England this year, it is clearly in England’s interest to continue to ostracise South Africa.

The South African NonRacial Olympic Committee (5.A.N.R.0.C.), which last year put 39 British sportsmen on a United Nations blacklist for playing in South Africa, has Called for action from the British Sports Minister, Mr Neil McFarlane.

S.A.N.R.O.C.’s chairman, Mr Sam Ramsamy, wants the Minister to get the Test and Country Cricket Board to ban the 12 from playing for England and their countries. He accused the board of giving “covert encouragement” to the cricketers by not having an outright ban on players going to South Africa. They have been allowed to coach or play as individuals. He feared that the tour could spark a wave of hatred against. English cricketers and ruin international cricket for them. He said that S.A.N.R.O.C. had information two weeks ago that Boycott was organising a South African tour, but could not take action because they did not know the identities of the other players. In Wellington yesterday, the chairman of the New Zealand, Cricket Council’s

Board of Control, Mr Bob Vance said: “We’re very thankful there are no New Zealanders in the team. You can’t be critical of players who are nearly at the end of their career doing this. There is a lot of money involved and that’s what they’re in the game for. “My council is terribly upset Australia did not support us in recently recognising the South African Cricket Union, which is officially acknowledged as the controlling body 'of cricket in South Africa.

“The tour is extremely serious from some points of view. I personally see it as being serious as it will harden some attitudes against South Africa. I believe a tour by a team like this will set back the course of cricket in South Africa by several years.” Mr Vance was speaking at a New Zealand Cricket Council luncheon in the social rooms at the Basin Reserve which was attended by a former Prime Minister, Sir John Marshall, and the present Minister of Recreation and Sport, Mr Alan Highet. Greg Chappell said there was sure to be some cricket and political repercussions because of the tour. The Australian side is due to meet England in the home test series in Australia next season.

The Australian manager, Mr ' Alan Crompton, would not comment other than to reiterate the Australian Cricket Board’s position on sporting contact with South Africa. Mr Crompton is a member of the A.C.B. He said that the board respected the Australian Government's stand .-on sporting contact and; acknowledged his government’s subscription to the Gleneagles Agreement. In Melbourne, meanwhile, the Australian Cricket Board was silent on the issue. The A.C.B.’s executive director, David Richards, said yesterday that the board did not want to say anything at present. “We have not seen all reports of this yet and wq. would certainly want to know more before we did say anything.

“It’s a matter between England and South Africa at the present time and I think the Australian Cricket Board would not want to make a public comment on it,” said Mr Richards.