Ahoy, Towards A Level Playing Field

The ugly episodes surrounding the inclusion of Justin Ontong in the South African cricket squad, which hasonce again brought the problem of racial discrimination in cricket to the fore, has now developed intoan unique tour of South Africa by the Rhodes Trust involving fifteen students of the University ofOxford.

Recognising the role of sport in fostering overall development, a fact ignored thus far in most countries, thetrust and its scholars have decided to go ahead with this tour between March 8-29, 2002. In doing so, theyaim to provide new opportunities for disadvantaged young cricketers; play a role in creating equal accessto facilities, coaching and equipment for all those who want to play the game; and broaden the base ofcricket in South Africa.

Inspired and motivated by the ideals of Cecil Rhodes, who had always given sports itsdeserved importance, the Rhodes Trust, on the eve of its centenary has shown considerableinterest toundertake tours to different parts of the globe. Other efforts to remedy imbalances ofopportunities are also being planned.

The Trust, the co-ordinating institution, is one of the world's largest and best-known charitableorganisations aiming to provide educational and development opportunities for students throughout theworld. The Rhodes community in Oxford is composed of an international group ofscholars chosen fromeighteen countries including South Africa, Australia, the nations of the Commonwealth Caribbean, India, NewZealand, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe.

Given the cosmopolitan, international nature of the Rhodes fraternity, it is natural for it to raise a voiceagainst racial discrimination in any form. With the determination not lacking among its currentrepresentatives it has now joined hands with Nelson Mandela in South Africa to launch a new wing, theMandela-Rhodes Foundation, to help aspiring students and players achieve their ends.

The three-week cricket tour has a Rhodes XI pitted against strong oppositions from Cape Town, Kimberleyand Johannesburg in seven matches. While these matches form the centrepiece of the tour, each member of thetouring party is committed to making a meaningful and lasting contribution, using their skills andefforts as well as possible on this short visit to South Africa.

As part of this commitment, the scholars, who are all experienced cricketers, will runcricket clinics for disadvantaged children in underdeveloped townships. These clinics will focus onthe historic township regions surrounding Stellenbosch, Cape Town and Johannesburg. It is inthese regions in particular that the imbalances of the past must be redressed most and the prospects for amore equal and prosperous future nurtured.

This tour also marks the start of an association between the United Cricket Board of South Africa(UCBSA) and the Rhodes Trust -- one that holds much promise for the game of cricket in the country and thelives of many South Africans.

As part of this new association, the Trust hopes to put in place by the end of the tour a scholarship programmefor cricketers from disadvantaged backgrounds, which will provide these players with legal and financial support.

The Trust will also help the UCBSA increase the number of accredited coaches in South African schools,particularly in those catering to disadvantaged communities. It will institute an award for bestperformance in the Johannesburg Cricket Association and will undertake a series of coachingclinics for youth players from all backgrounds, irrespective of class, creed orcolour.

Such initiatives would have as much value if undertaken in the Indian context. Despite havingimmense talent, many of our players fail to do justice to their talent due to their relativelyunderprivileged backgrounds.

With the coming in of corporate patronage in post-independence India, oneaccompanying cricket's rise to the position of India's national sport, the princes, the erstwhile patrons ofthe game in the sub-continent, had to give way to the corporates. The companies employed cricketersfrom educated backgrounds, men who would be able to serve them even after retirement.

It was a conscious policy to encourage the recruitment of cricketers with a minimum education. As Richard Cashman states, "WhenG. Sunderram joined BEST in 1956, having already represented his country, he was informed by thegeneral manager that it was the policy of the agency to employ cricketers but they must meet the minimumrequirements for a position".

Even the Tatas, the firm which has played a pioneering role in sports promotion in the country, preferred to recruitgraduates, knowing that after retiring from the game they would not be liabilities for the company.

Further, with the decline in princely patronage the centers that pioneered in promoting the sport amongthe young were schools, colleges and clubs. The schools and colleges that played a leading role incricket's promotion were those that could afford the infrastructure required for the game.The costly nature of the game acted as a detriment to its development and prevented cash strapped educationalinstitutions from promoting it.

The rich and the upper classes, men who had the privilege of attendingpremier educational institutions, ones who had the necessary infrastructure, were thus able to assertmonopolistic control over the game. Even the cricket clubs did not have much lower class participation.

These clubs often had a high membership fee, figures men from poor economic backgrounds could ill afford.Further, the aspiring cricketers often had to purchase their own cricket gear, which was beyond the reach ofeconomically underprivileged Indians.

Despite having the potential, therefore, facilities and circumstances had prevented many from poor and underprivilegedbackgrounds in India from doing justice to their talent.

The elevated status of cricket in post-1983 India, after the nation's triumph in the Prudential Cup,was responsible for bringing to the fore stars from relatively underprivileged backgrounds likeKambli, Ganesh, Harbhajan Singh and Das. These men, children in 1983, must have taken heart from this victory andtried their best at the game.

The realization that playing the game well could bring in fame and money, ledthe families to encourage their wards toplay the game. This appreciation, and opportunities, it may justly be expected, would be enhanced manifoldif the Rhodes Trust collaborates with the BCCI in making cricket a viable career option for Indians frompoor families.

Cricket after all as Ashis Nandy puts it is an "Indian game accidentally discovered inEngland".