Cullinan attacks Proteas for not wearing black armbands

[Marius]

Cullinan takes issue with Proteas’ ‘lack of respect’ for greats
by Telford Vice, February 08 2013, 08:05 | 0 Comment(s)

DARYLL Cullinan says the Proteas have disregarded their history by not acknowledging the deaths of Neil Adcock and Peter van der Merwe.

What, Cullinan asks, will they do when someone as prominent as Ali Bacher dies, considering his complex history in the game?

Adcock died on January 6 and Van der Merwe on January 23. South Africa have since been on the field on 11 separate days, and they have yet to wear black armbands.

That despite former South Africa fast bowler Adcock and former Test captain Van der Merwe being acknowledged by a moment’s silence at Cricket South Africa’s annual meeting in Johannesburg on Saturday.

Team management said at the weekend that the players themselves decided which deaths to recognise, and they "remembered the sensitivities" on both sides of South African cricket’s racial divide when doing so.

By dint of their white race and South Africa’s apartheid past, Adcock and Van der Merwe were privileged in every facet of their lives.

Whether other players were more deserving of a place in the national team than them cannot be known because South African sport was racially segregated at every level. The facilities, coaching and equipment available to black players were invariably well below the standard of that reserved by law for whites.

Cullinan said that reality did not disqualify the contribution Adcock and Van der Merwe had made to the national cricket cause.

"The very reputation that Graeme Smith’s team enjoys today — being tough and competitive — was created on the backs of the Adcocks, Pollocks (Peter and Graeme) and (Barry) Richards; let’s go back to Nourse (Dave and Dudley). It goes back to the first game the very first South African side ever played.

"There should be at least a thought given to the respect that that fact deserves. That legacy, albeit tainted, still carries through today and the world remembers that."

Cullinan sketched the complexities of South African sport succinctly. "I was among the last cricket Springboks, but I also became a Protea. Allan (Donald, South Africa’s current bowling coach) played, but now Allan’s party to this decision.

"This is more than a political issue — this is about respect from cricketer to cricketer."

He raised the example of Bacher, who captained the last all-white South Africa team to play Test cricket before the country’s isolation for 22 years.

Bacher became MD of the United Cricket Board, CSA’s forerunner, where he organised rebel tours to South Africa in defiance of efforts to end apartheid. However, Bacher saw the error of those ways and became a major figure in the racial unification of the game and its development among black South Africans.

His crowning achievement was South Africa’s highly successful hosting of the 2003 World Cup, of which he was executive director.

"If Ali died tomorrow, God forbid, would the flags fly at half-mast?" Cullinan asked. "Would Kirsten and Smith have had the balls to not acknowledge him?"

Cullinan labelled the decision not to wear armbands for Adcock and Van der Merwe "naive" and hoped "it doesn’t come back to haunt them".

Cullinan takes issue with Proteas

I think I agree with Cullinan here. South Africa should acknowledge the guys from the past, but it needs to be done with sensitivity.

 

[Spikey]

it doesn't even have to be done with sensitivity. just acknowledge them.

 

[benchmark00]

How is this an issue? It would have been nice, but it's not like it's malicious.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

If anything, the black armband gets wheeled out for too much these days. That said, Adcock and van der Merwe are two pretty significant names in South African cricket history to 'snub' in such a way.

 

[Marius]

How is this an issue? It would have been nice, but it's not like it's malicious.

I think Cullinan makes a good point though, part of the reason why SA is such a great team now, and why SA has a pretty strong cricket culture is because of what happened in the past. These guys need to be acknowledged too, especially people like Adcock and Van der Merwe. Adcock was probably the best fast bowler had in the pre-isolation days while Van der Merwe laid much of the foundation for Bacher's great team.

 

[Quaggas]

Agree with OP's opinion. More armbands for absolutely significant past players, less for when someones grandma dies. Your team grew out of that past.

 

[wpdavid]

I'm trying to recall any occasions when a side has worn black armbands because a former player has died. I think football gets it right nowadays when these things are acknowledged by a minute's applause. afaics Cullinan's just making mischief.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Every cricketer in Australia wore a black armband on the Saturday after Bradman's death.

 

[wpdavid]

Every cricketer in Australia wore a black armband on the Saturday after Bradman's death.

Yeah, I wondered about Bradman. Obviously the exception to end all exceptions though.

 

[MrPrez]

How is this an issue? It would have been nice, but it's not like it's malicious.

If anything, the black armband gets wheeled out for too much these days. That said, Adcock and van der Merwe are two pretty significant names in South African cricket history to 'snub' in such a way.

It's more that any post-apartheid or black players are afforded the treatment. He's not particularly pushing black armbands as a needed thing, just that IF they're going to be implemented, guys like Adcock should get recognition.

Which I agree with, but understand the sensitivity around the issue.

 

[smash84]

I am not really aware of the overall issue but what's the sensitivity around it?

 

[MrPrez]

I am not really aware of the overall issue but what's the sensitivity around it?

Well black players weren't allowed to be picked back in the day, so some say it's unfair to laud the old, "white" teams in an official manner given they were run in a manner against the nation's policies.

 

[smash84]

oh ok........

 

[dhillon28]

very complex and sensitive situation. It brings back the debate of the pros and cons of 1994 Truth and Reconciliation comission. Do you forgive past transgressors or do you punish every one of them and in the process imprison a significant majority of the white population? Same applies here. Do you laud the apartheide RSA players or do you sweep their achievements under the carpet and in doing so black out a generation of cricketing history. Tbf, I can see Cullinan's point about where to draw the line but I also appreciate where Smith, Kirsten and Co are coming from. They have to eat and sleep amongst the likes of Amla, Tsotsobe, Duminy etc and remain accountable to all south african cricket fans in order to facilitate true reconcilation and racial harmony at the grass roots level and maybe they thought of their actions as a small price for a greater cause.

Also not correct to compare bradman with apartheide cricketers because he was a modest character who didn't even smoke cigarettes let alone engage in racial discrimination!

 

[Marius]

very complex and sensitive situation. It brings back the debate of the pros and cons of 1994 Truth and Reconciliation comission. Do you forgive past transgressors or do you punish every one of them and in the process imprison a significant majority of the white population?

It was hardly a majority of the white population that were involved with human rights abuses.

All whites benefited, sure, but not all were involved in abusing human rights and so on.

 

[dhillon28]

It was hardly a majority of the white population that were involved with human rights abuses.

All whites benefited, sure, but not all were involved in abusing human rights and so on.

Quite right. Point taken. I apologise for not choosing my words carefully. I actually intended to say "a significant proportion/number of the white population". Also by significant in this context I mean too many to be imprisoned.