Conference will not admit S.A.

Press, 2 July 1983, Page 64

Conference will not admit S.A.

NZPA London South Africa is further away than ever from returning to the international cricket scene. The secretary of the International Cricket Conference, Mr Jack Bailey, said as much at the end of the two-day meeting. Mr Bailey refused to mention individual countries’ views, but said: “Some countries would say that they cannot play normal cricket in an abnormal society.” The countries would not go as far as to tell South Africa what must be done to get back into international cricket, but commented: “For some countries the bottom line is perhaps the disbandment of the apartheid laws,” he said.

Mr Bailey admitted that the rebel West Indian and Sri Lankan tours to South Africa last winter and toughened up feelings. The conference turned down an application from the South African Cricket Board to be recognised as the governing body of sport in that country. Mr Bailey said that the conference felt that as the white cricketers in South Africa played under the auspices of the South African Cricket Union, the board could not be recognised as being representative of all cricketers. He also said that the conference had refused both the board and the union permission to attend the meeting to make their case.