Umdlalo wekhilikithi ngesikhathi sobandlululo | Amandla!Abomdabu baseNdiya baseThekwini bazithola bevalelwa wonke amathuba futhi bekhishwa ekubeni ngamalungu ezinhlaka zemidlalo kuya emahhotela. Inhlangano eyaziwa ngeSurat Hindu Association yasungulwa kusaqala iminyaka yama 1900 ngemizamo yokuvikela amalungelo abomdabu bevela eNdiya. Lenhlangano yasiza ngezinhlelo eziningi njengokutholakala kothisha bolimi iGujarati ababevela eNdiya, kuya kwezenkolo kanye nokusungulwa kwamaqembu nezinhlelo zemidlalo njenge Bharat Cricket Club.Umdlalo wekhilikithi wafika eNdiya ekuqaleni kuka 1700 ne British East India Company, lomdlalo bawudlala sengathi ngowabo. Ngonyaka ka 1960, iqembu lekhilikithi laseNingizimu Afrika nalo lalizimisele kakhulu futhi lincintisana ezingeni lomhlaba (noma kwakunzima) ngenxa yobandlululo kwakuseduze lokhu kushintshe.Ngonyaka ka 1968 udaba olwaziwa njenge ‘D’Oliveira affair’ lwaholelwa ekuhoxisweni komdlalo phakathi kweNingizimu Afrika yiqembu laseNgilande ngo 1968-69. UBasil D’Oliveira wayengumdlali wekhilikithi weqembu laseNgilande kodwa enomlando wamakhaladi aseKapa. Kwaqala ngokuthi angafakwa kuleliqembu elalizoza eNingizimu Afrika, kwathi ngemuva kokukhalaza kwezakhamuzi zaseBhrithane ngalesinqumo wabe esefakwa eqenjini, okwenza uPrime Minister Vorster aveze ukuthi ukukhethwa kweqembu kwakunepolitiki. Kwazanywa ukuthi kukhulunyiswane ngaloludaba kodwa kwagcina kumenyezelwe mhla zingu 24 September 1968 ukuthi ngeke isaba khona lemidlalo.Iminyaka eyalandela leyo isimo saba sibi kakhulu. Ngonyaka ka 1970 uhambo lweqembu lase Ningizimu Afrika liya eNgilande lwaahoxiswa ngenxa yemibhikisho eBrithane, isigungu esengamele imidlalo yekhilikithi i-Kiwi Cricket Board yasenqaba isicelo sase New Zealand sokuzodlala eNingizimu Afrika. Isigungu esikhulu sekhilikithi i-South African Cricket Association sesabela ukukhishwa emidlalweni yezinga lomhlaba yazama ukuhlela uhambo oluya e-Australia, laphakamisa ukufaka abadlali ababili abamnyama eqenjini, lesiphakamisa wasenqaba uhulumeni waseNingizimu Afrika.Ababhikishi e-London ngenkathi iNingizimu Afrika idlala ikhilikithi ngowe-1965Mhla zingu 3 April 1973, amaqhawe eCurry Cup, i-Transvaal ahlangana neqembu i-The Rest of South Africa, eNewlands eKapa. Kwakunabadlali abaziwayo njengo Clive Rice, uGraeme noPeter Pollock. Bonke abadlali beqembu leRest bavumelana ukuthi baphume enkundleni umdlalo usaqala, umphathi weqembu le- The Rest, uRon Delport wanika isikhulu seSouth African Cricketers Association uhla lwezikhalo olwalubhalwe ngabadlalli bamaqembu womabili olwalufundeka kanjena: “Siyaseseka isicelo se-South African Cricket Association sokufaka abadlali abamnyama ohambeni lwase Australia uma bekwazi ukudlala kahle. Futhi sicela ukuthi kube yindlela yokuzimisela emdlalweni ekufanele kukhethwe ngayo.” Ngemuva kwemizuzu embalwa bonke abadlali babuyela enkundleni baqhubeka nomdlalo wabo, nakuba umbhikisho wangalelo langa wawuhlukile emlandweni wezemidlalo eNingizimu Afrika.Owayengungqongoshe wezemidlalo uFrank Waring, wakuchitha lokhu “njengokujabulisa abantu baseNingizimu Afrika nokubukwa ngabaphesheya”. Kodwa abezindaba bomhlaba izihloko amaphephandaba angakusasa ekuseni zazizithi “AmaSpringbok ashiye inkundla ngenxa yebala” Uhambo lwase Australia aluzange lubekhona. Njengokucabanga kweCricket Association, iNingizimu Afrika yakhishwa emidlalweni yomhlaba iminyaka engamashumi amabili.Incwadi ebhalwe nguDokotela Ashwin Desai esihloko sithi ‘Reverse Sweep, A Story of South Africa Cricket Since Apartheid’ iyaqhubeka nokuxoxa ngekhilikitha eNingizimu Afrika, ibheka ushintsho oselwenzekile kusukela ngesikhathi sobandlululo. Lencwadi ishicilelwe ngenyanga edlule emcimbini obuse Ikes Books and Collectables eThekwini. Ngeminye imininingwane xhumana nabakwa Ikes ku 031 303 9214 noma ikesbooks@iafrica.comIsithombe sivela kwabe-www.thecricketmonthly.comBiko, Turner & the Soweto Uprising →
