Dr. Ali Bacher who played a prominent role in South Africa’s return to international cricket in 1991 with a three-match ODI series in India
Dr. Ali Bacher who played a prominent role in South Africa’s return to international cricket in 1991 with a three-match ODI series at Kolkata, Gwalior, and New Delhi in November 1991, is peeved at what he alleges is the present-day domination of Test cricket matches by India, England, and Australia. “It’s absurd and wrong,” he said in the course of an exclusive interview to News18. Com.
Summing up South Africa’s achievements and setbacks in the last thirty years, the former South Africa captain, a smart administrator who steered the 2003 ICC World Cup in South Africa, promoted Hansie Cronje in a big way, went through the ordeal of facing the music following the ICC ban on Cronje for match-fixing and played his part in bringing about the transformation (integration of black cricketers into the system) at the behest of the African National Congress-led government, believes that different teams have competed well over the last three decades. “But our batting is weak now. We have the fast bowlers,’’ he said during a telephone interview from Johannesburg. He welcomed the push for cricket at the Olympics and said that “Cricket should be a seven-a-side game at the Olympics.’’
Excerpts
It has been almost three decades since South Africa returned to mainstream cricket after the apartheid years ban from 1970 to 1991. How would you sum up South Africa’s performance in this period?
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 readmitted into the ICC (as full member) 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 soon after the apartheid years. Would you say, the unpleasant events (match-fixing) that shamed Cronje were also its 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 a leader. Hansie Cronje had the leadership qualities. I saw that early on. I motivated him. Some people thought I gave him too much scope to do things on his own. But I thought he was a natural leader.
And when those things arose, I could not believe it. It destroyed him, his family and his friends. It broke the heart of all South Africans because two years before this tragedy, a marketing company researched soccer, tennis rugby, cricket, tennis and with different population groups like whites, Afrikaners, Coloureds, Indians, and Hansie received more support. He became the reflection of the Afrikana in the 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 phoned me. The late Percy Sonn, who was the President of the United Cricket Board South Africa had heard that Hansie was playing cricket on a beach. He went public saying he should even be banned from playing cricket on a beach, he has been banned for life. He phoned me and it broke my heart.
Well, the country went against me. They thought I had not supported him enough. He got banned for life. That was an ICC ruling. Even to this day, there is huge support for Hansie Cronje. He had become a formidable figure in an unusual society.
Does the transformation aspect appear to have affected South African cricket in recent times?
We least talk about it now. When we got back into World cricket in 1991, the cricketers were all whites, because the black cricketers under apartheid, never had the grounds, facilities, and coaches. We continued with whites and maintained a good standard.
When we had unification in the early 1990s, the South African national cricketers were all whites. We went to the World Cup in Australia in 1992 with one black cricketer (Omar Henry). The African National Congress was quite happy believing that it would take time for the changes to take place.
When the West Indies came in 1998-99, South Africa beat them 5-0. The late Steve Tshwete, the then sports minister, phoned me. The ANC was saying to him: “Minister of sports, what’s happening. There are no changes. South African cricket is almost all white.”
Steve came to the Centurion at the conclusion of the last game. I called a meeting of the main Board. And Steve asked where is the transformation?
There were going to be seven ODIs. The selectors had picked fourteen and they picked three additional black players. We beat the West Indies and everybody was happy. I called a team meeting and in a nice way, I told them: “Listen chaps, it’s a new political era. There got to be changes. We cannot progress with an all-white South African team. The ANC will turn against us. So we have to transform. Hansie did not like what I said and he stormed out of the meeting. He went to Bloemfontein and disappeared for three days and reappeared in Johannesburg. Thereafter our relationship was never the same again. He (Cronje) believed that there should have been more adulation because South Africa beat the West Indies 5-0 in the Test series. Fair enough.
But I stand by what I did that day, I did the right thing. I saw the writing on the wall. We had to be part of a new era and we had to face up to it. And we did that. 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 have no problems here. Dale Steyn tells me Kagiso Rabada is our best. But our batting has declined in the last couple of years. We don’t have Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Graham Smith, anymore. So batting is going to be a problem when India’s fast bowlers come here. Our batting is weak. It is just not strong as it used to be.
There have been administrative and governance issues too in recent times?
The leadership of cricket administration in South African cricket has been shambolic. Hardly anybody there knew much about cricket. It’s common knowledge, and I have it from reliable authority that each of national body of 14 members was receiving 150000 to 200000 rand each year to attend meetings. That’s gone now. There is now hope. Our Minister of Sport has created a new structure to administer SA Cricket. It will be headed by two highly respected advocates, Lawson Naidoo and Steven Budlender; both are passionate about the game. They don’t come with any baggage. They are top-class South Africans. They are in charge and I have spoken to them. The other 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 problems are going to be our batting.
But Graeme Smith is also part of the administration?
A. His story is extraordinary. He is the only Test captain ever to have led his country in more than a hundred Tests (108). He is new to administration. If he gets around, like I did, highly regarded senior people to advice and counsel him, he will be alright. If he tries to do everything on his own, he is going to run into problems. He is inexperienced in cricket administration. Look, if he is wise enough to get some smart people around him, he will be good.
South Africa had many great bowlers like Allan, Donald, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn and also 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 Steyn as the best of all of them. Steyn was fast, he bowled late away swingers and he knew to reverse swing the ball. And probably the most important thing is that he was a great competitor. At 5 in the afternoon, he would bowl as fast as he did at 10 in the morning. And he says, Kagiso Rabada would be our best fast bowler, not him.
The last 30 years has also seen batsmen like Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla, Smith, AB de Villiers, Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs? All fine batsmen. South Africa does not have the same calibre now in batting. Why so?
I cannot answer this question. Watching the England batting against India, apart from Joe Root, the rest are pretty ordinary. We have that problem too. They have Mark Boucher (South Africa’s 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, as an opener, has a batting average of 49.
South Africa has played 273 Tests and won 131 in the last thirty years. Are you happy with these numbers? It’s almost Even-Stevens with England, but not the same against Australia?
The great Steve Waugh never won a Test series in India. Our team has adapted to conditions in the sub-continent. I think, our team has been better than any of the other non-Asian teams, like Australia, New Zealand, West Indies and England. We have a pretty good record in the sub-continent. That’s a credit to South African cricket. Playing against Australia, there are two aspects to it. In one-day internationals we are on par with Australia (51 wins/48 losses). Generally speaking, Australia is the only team in the last thirty years, that has got the better of us. Australia has had some unbelievable and great cricketers in Steve Waugh; in my opinion he was one of the greatest Test competitors. 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 had a good run producing some great cricketers. We competed against these people.
South Africa, and you must be looking forward to the India tour in December – January? The tour did not happen last year because of the pandemic.
A. The big problem is that South Africa is going through the peak virus. It’s very strong at the moment in the Cape and Eastern Cape. There is some speculation that there could be a fourth wave at the end of the year. That may become an issue. But if that has to happen, and if the Indians could not come here, there will be serious consequences with South African cricket; for the players, the public and for the country. We need India here because we have a great relationship for the past thirty years. These days, India along with Australia, are the best Test teams in the World. There is no question about that. The reason is that for the first time ever, India has got some damn good fast bowlers.
I am a great admirer of India’s captain, Virat Kohli. He is pushing his players, he is on the ball; and in more than many ways, he reminds me of an Australian, South African! He is confident and he wants India to be successful. I just hope that this virus peters out so that India can come here and we can have a great Test series.
What is your reading of the World cricket now? Test cricket, ODI and Twenty20. In addition, there are the IPL, Big Bash, PSL, CPL and The Hundred now?
The greatest problem in world cricket now is that it is dominated by Australia, India and England. Where else do you find this, England scheduled to play 17 Test matches. This is absurd. Whereas countries like Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies are scraping to get a few Test matches. This is wrong. Three countries cannot dominate world cricket. Bangladesh has taken a long time to come through, but they have just beaten Australia 4-1 in the Twenty20 series. You cannot allow the game to be controlled and manipulated by three countries. I am totally opposed to what’s happening in World cricket today.
The game is all about money, and the money is in these leagues. That’s where the sponsors are. That’s where the crowds are and the TV audience. You cannot stop it unfortunately. In five or ten years’ time, people may love Test cricket or not. Who knows? Australia and England will play the Ashes for a hundred years. But what will happen to Test cricket in other parts. You watch the Test matches in the West Indies, there is nobody there. It’s a worrying aspect. The domination by three countries must stop.
Cricket entering the Olympics, what are your thoughts on this?
It’s a great idea. But not eleven-a-side cricket, but like Rugby, seven-a-side. You will get big audiences. Why should it not be seven-a-side. Why not? The Olympics is the world’s biggest sporting event. Why should not cricket be part of it. The rules can be changed; it can be done. Those changes are not insurmountable.
