SA has stood Test of time
Proteas become a formidable team with a fighting spirit
ALI Bacher remembers the day he captained the South African Test cricket team for the last time as if it were yesterday. But it was 47 years ago. “It was an emphatic victory (against bitter rivals Australia) in Port Elizabeth,” he recalled at his home in Sandhurst this week.
“We won the fourth Test by over 300 runs. The Aussies simply had no chance.
“We weren’t arrogant, we were just silently confident.”
Bacher was at the peak of his inter national cricketing career. He had just been handed the captain’s armband and had recorded an emphatic 4-0 series victory against Australia in his first series as captain.
“Some people say that the South African Test team of 1970 was the best team this country has ever produced,” he remarked.
But Bacher’s dream of leading South Africa to another Test series victory would be short-lived.
A few months after the series victory against Australia, the International Cricket Council (ICC) would ban South Africa from competing in all forms of international cricket. The ban was a direct result of apartheid.
It lasted 21 years before South Africa was readmitted.
This meant that Bacher’s career as an international cricketer had come to an end.
“In life there are good and bad moments, that’s just part of life. Obviously I was disappointed but there was nothing I could do. Life had to go on.”
It wasn’t until April 1992 that South Africa would be given the chance to compete in a Test match in the international arena, when they played the West Indies in a one-off Test match at the Kensington Oval at Bridgetown in Barbados from April 18 to 23.
Despite a remarkable debut Test century by Andrew Hudson, South Africa would go on to lose by 52 runs.
The team, which was captained by Kepler Wessels, sported players including Peter Kirsten, Hudson, Richard Snell, Allan Donald and the late Hansie Cronjé.
This month marked the 25th anniversary since that historic day.
Bacher, who was the chief executive of the United Cricket Board at the time, said he had very fond memories of the historic Test against the West Indies.
“We lost that Test match because we were overconfident. We were well placed going into the final day of the match. I think we needed about a hundred runs to win and we blew it.”
Bacher said the West Indies had noticed South Africa’s overconfidence the night before the final day of the Test.
“The West Indies Cricket Board had invited us to join them for a party on the night of the fourth day of the Test match. I had never seen players like Hansie Cronjé and Kepler Wessels smiling so much. They are normally very serious players. All the players were smiling and were so happy.
“Brian Lara had told me a few months later that he and his teammates had noticed the cheeriness of the South African team that night and they wanted to wipe the smiles off their faces.”
“On the final day, the West Indies knocked us over. Curtly Ambrose took six wickets and Courtney Walsh took four.”
Bacher said a part of him was glad that South Africa had lost the Test match.
“We were isolated for 22 years, and then out of nowhere we were going to knock over West Indies at their home. That’s unrealistic.
“It wouldn’t have done us any good. We probably would have come back to South Africa thinking we were world champs. Deep down I wasn’t unhappy.”
Cricket SA chief executive Haroon Lorgat agreed with Bacher.
“I recall my first lesson in Test cricket was that a Test match is not won until you have finished the job. We ended up losing the match on the final morning after getting ourselves into a winning position,” said Lorgat.
“It was a significant occasion and perhaps fitting that, taking the political context of the time, our first Test match was against the West Indies. It showed us that even though we had some experienced cricketers at first-class level, Test cricket was at another level.”
Lor g at said he watched with great joy as Hudson racked up that debut century.
“Fo r any player to score a century on debut is special, and for Hudson to have performed the feat on such a significant and emotive occasion was something very special.” South Africa’s loss to the West Indies would be followed by a 1-0 series victory ag ainst I ndia. Over the next 25 years, South Africa would go on to become one of the best Test teams in the world. Today South Africa sit second in the Test world rankings. Neither Bacher nor Lorgat is surprised by the impressive progress the country’s Test squads have made over the years. “If you go through the history of South African cricket, our greatest ever achievement was when we beat Australia three consecutive times in their own backyard. “We beat them in 2008, 2012 and then in 2016. In my opinion that is one of South Africa’s greatest achievements,” said Bacher. “Another great achievement was their performances in India since 1996. Not many teams can win Test matches in India, but South Africa have a great record. They have a 31% win record. Only Pakistan have a better percentage win rate,” added Bacher.
Lorgat said South African cricket had come a long way since returning to the international stage.
“I don’t think many of us realise, let alone give credit to, how far we have come over the past 25 years. Firstly, that was an all-white team, whereas we now have a team that is much more representative of our country and which appeals to all sectors of our population, including females.
“We have since enjoyed many heroes who would easily match the best players to be found anywhere in the world,” said Lorgat.
Bacher added that each player representing South Africa in cricket today deserved to be in the squad on merit.
“There is a representation of different people in the team. It had taken a long time, maybe too long, but the important thing is that it has happened. That is why I think that this national sport will have the support of all South Africans.”
Bacher also pointed out that South Africa were now a fearless team.
“In the past it always seemed that Australia had this mental edge over us, especially in close games. These days, we play without fear.
“Mark Boucher told me that the person who changed this mentality was AB de Villiers. He went to Australia and said ‘come on chaps, we’ll beat them’. He plays without fear and has instilled that in the dressing room. He gives the squad confidence.”
Lorgat believes that the key to South Africa’s success in Test cricket over the years is that they have now identified and established their own culture.
“This laid the foundation to their rise to No 1 in 2012 and has been revisited to launch the revival we have witnessed over the past year. This is a team with a fighting spirit where everybody plays for everybody else, and most importantly, they enjoy each other’s successes and moments of personal triumph.”