Veteran cricket administrator passes away

CRICKET lost one of one its veteran administrators, Frank Brache, after a long illness yesterday.

Brache was involved in cricket administration virtually all his life, culminating in his election to the United Cricket Board of South Africa’s first board in 1991.

Prior to unity he started his administrative career with the Western Province Cricket Board of Control, when attempts were made to organise a West Indies tour of South Africa to play against a Basil D’Oliveira-led SA Cricket Board of Control XI in 1959. In the late 1970s Brache and former WP Cricket Union chief Clem Druker organised the first merger in the Western Cape of a white cricket club, Varsity Old Boys and a coloured cricket club, Cavaliers. Druker reportedly phoned Brache,

who was secretary of the WP Cricket Board, and told him, in Brache’s words at the time: “Enough of this nonsense, let’s form a non-racial cricket club.”

Thorough unification in cricket, however, only occurred in the early 1990s, after major political changes, and the unbanning of political organisations.

After unity, Brache remained heavily involved in the organisation and administration of WP Cricket. As the brother-in-law of D’Oliveira, he served as a spokesperson for the D’Oliveira family and was also the grandfather of former WP rugby player, Marcel Brache.

“Frank gave a lifetime of service to cricket in various capacities and was very much involved in the unity process when he served on the inaugural board of the UCB following the conclusion of the unity of all cricketers under one banner,” CSA president Chris Nenzani said.

“Cricket South Africa extends its deepest condolences to his family, cricketing colleagues and friends on behalf of the CSA family,” said CSA acting chief executive, Thabang Moroe.