LONDON – Basil D’Oliveira, the South Africa-born cricket all-rounder whose selection in an England team to visit his native land changed the course of history, has died aged 80 after a long fight against Parkinson’s disease.
D’Oliveira emigrated to England with the help of renowned commentator and writer John Arlott after he was denied the chance to represent his own country by the apartheid regime because he was classified as mixed race.
At a time when England had an abundance of talented batsmen, D’Oliveira was still able to force his way into the national team for the 1966 series against the all-conquering West Indies and was an immediate success.
He commanded a regular place for the next two seasons but, after an indifferent tour of West Indies, he was dropped following the first test against Australia in 1968.
Injuries resulted in a call-up for the final test, where D’Oliveira made 158 in a match which England dramatically won in the final minutes, levelling the series.
On the following day, D’Oliveira was left out of the 16-man party for the tour of South Africa, sparking an uproar throughout England. However, he received a call-up almost three weeks later when medium-pacer Tom Cartwright withdrew through injury.
South African prime minister John Vorster, who had already unofficially warned English cricketing authorities that he would not accept a team including D’Oliveira, condemned the England side as a team of “the anti-apartheid movement” and the tour was called off.
No official cricket side toured South Africa after that until apartheid was abolished following the release of Nelson Mandela’s in 1990. – (Reuters)