Socialist apartheid regime.
In a sport-crazy coun try the isolation of South Africa from international sport has been an effective method of hitting -InE morale of the white rulers the confidence of black population It has contributed to the broader struggle against the regime. The carefully planned tour involves huge finances some half a million pounds to pay the players alone The plavers have been lured by fat pay cheques to compensate for probably being banned from playing in international cricket ir the future But their decision to go to South Africa does not depend on money alone They all know full well that test cricket South Africa was broken off by the white cricketing naand New Zealand triy tions only with extreme reluctance of the game were faced ir the early 1970s with either banning South Africa from test cricket or facing the best cricket players the West Indians - refus ing to play the white teams. In addition it would have meant the Pakistanis and Indians adopting similar attitude Expelling South Africa was therefore necessary to keep international cricket together. But it is an open in the cricketing world that the upper class reactionaries who run cricket would love to have South Africa back in the fold But there is more hypocrisy involved here The tour has been loudly condemned by the Tory government. But, as former England cricket captain Tony Greig, a sup porter of South Africa points out, the cricketer: are only doing what polit SO LETE deal ng with Sout actly.
really boosts South Africa, and enables the apartheid system to survive, is not sporting maks oor much more Im portantly the bless of pounds INVES MET poured in by the Western capitalist countries, above all Britain, together with the trade and defence links WnIch the Western powers have.
Thatcher willinot con demn the English cricketers; neither will she condemn the English bankers and the multinaSouth Africa affoat. tionals are keeping Sanctions will undoubtedly be taker against the cricketers by the cricket authorities probably they will be banned cricket. This of course is something which we sup port.
But with the rugby tours by Irish and 'British Lions' teams. and now the South has been gradually breaking TURE sporting boo iong as business and governments with South Africa, it is difficult to persuade athlete:
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cricketers to play a series of so-called test matches is a massive propaganda coup for the