boyfriday Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Came across this interesting article, it seems another lifetime since South Africa was ostracised from the rest of the world because of it's support of apartheid, politicians had tried and failed to encourage SA to change, but famous sportsman and commentators had a much more positive effective. http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/publications/papers-and-podcasts/international-relations-and-foreign-affairs/cashman-transcript.aspx The likes of Don Bradman, John Arlott, Carwyn James, Don Bradman, Ian Botham, Viv Richards and many, many others should be applauded for their role in forcing change in South Africa. Is it right that sport should influence politics and sportsmen should be able to pick and choose which international sides they play against as a matter of conscience? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinfoilhat Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Came across this interesting article, it seems another lifetime since South Africa was ostracised from the rest of the world because of it's support of apartheid, politicians had tried and failed to encourage SA to change, but famous sportsman and commentators had a much more positive effective. http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/publications/papers-and-podcasts/international-relations-and-foreign-affairs/cashman-transcript.aspx The likes of Don Bradman, John Arlott, Carwyn James, Don Bradman, Ian Botham, Viv Richards and many, many others should be applauded for their role in forcing change in South Africa. Is it right that sport should influence politics and sportsmen should be able to pick and choose which international sides they play against as a matter of conscience? Can't do that anymore BF, not really. There was big uproar when we played Zimbabwe about 8 years ago. England HAD to go on the tour, the only they couldn't was if Blair ordered them not to go. The ICC (whose members had no problems at all with tour) would have fined the ecb heavily and I can only imagine what sky would have done. Failure to go would have cost millions and put English cricket back 10 years. Blair stayed out of it so off we went. The next scheduled tour in Zimbabwe was NZ who told them to shove it, with iirc the backing of their government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyfriday Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 Can't do that anymore BF, not really. There was big uproar when we played Zimbabwe about 8 years ago. England HAD to go on the tour, the only they couldn't was if Blair ordered them not to go. The ICC (whose members had no problems at all with tour) would have fined the ecb heavily and I can only imagine what sky would have done. Failure to go would have cost millions and put English cricket back 10 years. Blair stayed out of it so off we went. The next scheduled tour in Zimbabwe was NZ who told them to shove it, with iirc the backing of their government. I'd forgotten about that tour tfh, isn't it the one where Henry Olonga refused to play for Zimbabwe? Seems your right though, commercial interests seem to be superseding human rights ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinfoilhat Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 I'd forgotten about that tour tfh, isn't it the one where Henry Olonga refused to play for Zimbabwe? Seems your right though, commercial interests seem to be superseding human rights ones. No that was before that I think. 2003 World Cup maybe? Looks like it was http://www.espncricinfo.com/zimbabwe/content/player/55675.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeMaquis Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Apartheid South Africa was most hit hard by the sports boycott with regards to rugby. Rugby is the bastion of white racism in South African sport and they suffered, deservingly so, from the boycott. The D'oliveira affair, mercenary cricket tours and Zola Budd episode distracted from that but Mandela put ting the Springboks shirt on when they held the Rugby World Cup was the great symbol of the end of the sporting boycott. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyfriday Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 Apartheid South Africa was most hit hard by the sports boycott with regards to rugby. Rugby is the bastion of white racism in South African sport and they suffered, deservingly so, from the boycott. The D'oliveira affair, mercenary cricket tours and Zola Budd episode distracted from that but Mandela put ting the Springboks shirt on when they held the Rugby World Cup was the great symbol of the end of the sporting boycott. Especially as it was the shirt of an Afrikaner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.