SA has stood the Test of time
Proteas became formidable team
ALI Bacher remembers the day he captained the South African Test cricket team for the first 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 international cricketing career. He had just been handed the captain’s armband and recorded a 4-0 series victory against Australia in his first series as captain.
“Some people say the South African Test team of 1970 was the best team this country has ever produced,” he said.
But Bacher’s dream of leading South Africa to another Test series victory would be short-lived. A few months later, the International Cricket Council (ICC) would ban South Africa from competing in all forms of international cricket – a direct result of apartheid.
The ban lasted 21 years. It wasn’t until April 1992 that South Africa would be given the chance to compete again 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, Barbados.
Despite a remarkable debut Test century by Andrew Hudson, South Africa would go on to lose by 52 runs. The team, captained by Kepler Wessels, included 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 chief executive of the United Cricket Board at the time, said he had 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.
“The West Indies Cricket Board had invited us to join them for a party. 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 told me a few months later that he and his teammates had noticed the cheeriness of the South African team that night and 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. And 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.
“My first lesson in Test cricket was that a match is not won until you have finished the job. We ended up losing after getting ourselves into a winning position. It was 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 experienced cricketers at first-class level, Test cricket was at another level.”
Lorgat said he watched with great joy as Hudson racked up that debut century: “It was very special.”
South Africa’s loss to the West Indies would be followed by a 1-0 series victory against India. Over the next 25 years, South Africa would go on to become one of the best Test teams in the world.
Today South Africa are second in the Test world rankings. Neither Bacher nor Lorgat is surprised by the impressive progress the country’s Test squads have made.
“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,” he added. 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. First, that was an allwhite 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 said 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 has taken a long time, maybe too long, but the important thing is 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 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. Most importantly, they enjoy each other’s successes and the moments of personal triumph.”