The recent exposure of systemic racism in Yorkshire cricket, as well as harrowing stories of discrimination during South Africa’s own inquest into racism in cricket, underlines the sport’s problem with all forms of diversity.
Ever since former John Vorster took a decision that England may not tour South Africa with the Cape Town-born all-rounder Basil D'Oliviera cricket and race relations have been bedfellows.
SOUTH African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada rejoices after taking the wicket of Pakistan tailender Hasan Ali during the first Test on Thursday. Tahir Jamal/White Star
AMONGST the cricketing nations, South Africa is uniquely placed. It is not only one of the three founding members of the ICC, like England and Australia, it made headlines across the world when it was expelled from international cricket because of its government policy of racial segregation known as the ‘Apartheid.’
Apartheid is a law which did not allow the ruling Whites to have mixed sports, mixed marriages or even sharing schools with Blacks, Asians or the Cape coloured people.