OWN CORRESPONDENT, Bangalore | Tuesday 9.40am
SOUTH Africa’s historic Test series win in India earned praise from the government, despite the uneasy peace which exists between cricket administrators and politicians.
”After the successes over the English, this triumph in India is a major morale-booster for our sport,” sports minister Ngconde Balfour said in a fax to the team after they beat India by an innings and 71 runs in the second Test in Bangalore.
South Africa, who won the first Test by four wickets, became the first team to win a series in India for 13 years.
”Winning in India is no easy feat,” Balfour wrote. ”The manner in which the team went about their victory is even more commendable, especially the way in which they appplied themselves to adapting to Indian wickets.
”Convey my personal congratulations and that of the people and government of South Africa to every member of the squad.”
Despite growing interest among blacks cricket remains a largely white sport in South Africa, which earns the game perennial criticism from politicians.
Internal politics prompted Ray White to resign the presidency of the United Cricket Board (UCB) in January, and he later labelled the UCB ”little more than the cricket organ of the African National Congress”. — Reuters