The cricket World Cup is a bust in the black community.
Back in 1995 the rugby World Cup united South Africans in a sense of mutual achievement that the country had never experienced. Madiba magic and images of fans of all races embracing jubilantly in the streets gave the world a glimpse of how united the people of South Africa could be.
Organisers of the cricket World Cup were convinced they would create the same magic for a nation that hasn’t had many similar memorable moments since 1995. But few black fans have come to the party.
Advertisements of South Africans around the country halting their activities and lifting their feet when their team is on a Nelson 111, a score that elicits dread among the superstitious, and of Nelson Mandela embracing the tournament still portray the magic the tournament’s organisers had hoped to create.
But the Proteas’ spotty performance and off-the-pitch protests have dampened hopes of turning the spectacular into an event that excites all South Africans.
Ali Bacher, executive director of the cricket World Cup, last year described the event as “the biggest empowerment project that South African sport has ever embarked upon”.
“Black empowerment is a cornerstone of all our endeavours at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003. It is indelibly inscribed in our mission that we will spread ownership and transfer skills at every opportunity,” Bacher said.
Despite Bacher’s words, the tournament has not had the effect he had hoped for. Herschelle Gibbs and Makhaya Ntini have arguably performed better than any of their team-mates, but black South Africans have not rallied behind them.
The opening game of South Africa against the West Indies excited few in the townships. Television sets in most township bars were tuned to local soccer games.
Critics say New Zealand’s boycott of its game in Kenya and England’s boycott of its game in Zimbabwe have helped alienate the black community from the sport. “England and New Zealand’s withdrawal from their games in Kenya and Zimbabwe have created a bad image for the World Cup in Africa,” said Bareng Batho-Kortjaas, a sportswriter for the Sunday World .
Rodney Hartman, communications director of the World Cup, disagrees. He says though he has not attended all games he has seen many black fans at some of the lesser games. “In Paarl and Kimberley the majority of the crowds were from the black community.”
He says his colleague Jos Charle reported that encouraging numbers of black fans were attending games.
“Generally, during our travels we were encouraged by members of the black community who approached us to learn more about the game,” Hartman said.
“We still have a long way to go in this tournament and though South Africa hasn’t performed as well as we had hoped, they aren’t out of the tournament by a long shot,” Hartman said.
“There is definitely a lot more black interest in cricket than a year ago. The cricket World Cup has gone a long way to promote the game among black youngsters.”
The African National Congress Youth League says it is not surprised by the response of the majority of South Africans. “There is a reason why the faces in the crowd are still overly white,” said Khulekani Ntshangase, the representative for the league.
He said the league has long insisted that too little is being done in the development of all sports, not only cricket. “But especially cricket has been lagging behind in getting the necessary support and funding from sports bodies.”
Ntshangase said many black cricket supporters cannot afford the stiff prices for a World Cup ticket. “They have to choose between food and a World Cup game. Something should’ve been done to help these people attend the games.”
He said the actions of the teams boycotting matches in Africa are also unacceptable.
“They have not helped to promote the game in Africa at all. They have sent out the message that Africa is not good enough for cricket.”
Hartman said the organisers have promoted the game extensively in the black community and that participating teams regularly hold training clinics in the townships.
“We’ve pulled tickets out of circulation and donated them to disadvantaged athletes to empower black cricketers to attend the games,” he said.
“South Africa’s performance in the World Cup so far also hasn’t helped to rally the whole country behind the team,” said Batho-Kortjaas. “The team looks likely to make an early exit, which will effectively end most South Africans’ interest in the tournament.”
Meanwhile the World Cup organisers have asked the satellite channel Supersport to remove billboard advertisements featuring the punchline “Die Aussies” from alongside highways. The billboard advertises dual commentary in Afrikaans and English, but the double entendre has offended many.
Hartman says members of the public complained about the billboard. “They felt that the billboard didn’t send the right message.”
But the Aussies themselves have chuckled over the gag and the team denies that it asked the International Cricket Council to remove it. Jonathan Rose, the team’s media manager, says team members were startled the first time they saw the advertisement.
“But as soon as we knew what it was about we had a good laugh about it. We knew it was tongue-in-cheek and in good spirit.”