Rebels elude reporters

Press, 10 February 1986, Page 24

Rebels elude reporters

NZPA-AAP Sydney Six of the seven Australian cricket rebels who arrived at Sydney from South Africa on Saturday hid themselves from the news media in a cloak-and-dagger operation reminiscent of the organisation of the tour.

Only the wicket-keeper, Steve Rixon, made himself available for interviews.

Rixon was met by his family and spoke freely about the playing side of the tour while parrying questions of a political nature. “I'm here to talk about cricket, nothing else,” said Rixon when asked if he had seen any evidence of the South African Government’s apartheid policy while in the republic. “It is a great place to tour

and we had a very good time,” said Rixon, who was escorted from the main arrivals area by the Commonwealth police. The former test wicketkeeper said the rebels had been extremely well received by the South African people, both at and away from the cricket grounds. He said he could see no reason why any Australian sportsman should not tour the republic if given the opportunity. When asked whether any other Australian cricketers would be sought to join the rebel party for next year’s South African tour, Rixon replied: “Definitely not. "We have 16 very good players and they are the only ones who will be there next

year. "We would have done much better in both the tests and the one-dayers had it not been for a crippling run of injuries." The rebels lost the final “test” to lose the three-match series, 0-1, and then lost, 2-4, in the six-match one-day series.

"Injuries definitely meant the difference between us winning and losing,” said Rixon.

Rixon said several of the rebels had stayed behind in South Africa for holidays. “There are a few back inside waiting to come out so you had better go and have a chat with them,” he said. They may well have been inside but they did not come out.