Gerald Majola, chief executive officer of the United Cricket Board (UCB) and author Professor Andre Odendaal on Tuesday presented Minister of Sport and Recreation Ngconde Balfour with a copy of The Story of an African Game, a UCB publication which records the rich history of black cricket in South Africa.
Odendaal was tasked with producing the book as part of the UCB’s commitment to ensuring that the history and experiences of black cricketers become part of the public record of the game.
Drawing on rare 19th Century African-language newspaper sources, family photo albums and extensive interviews, Odendaal provides an account of a rich cricketing culture that began with the establishment of the first black mission school cricket sides and clubs in the 1850s.
He demonstrates, through colourful stories and vivid photographs that the game has been played with passion and commitment by black South Africans in inter-town tournaments, village games and national bodies for well over 100 years in a parallel, but largely hidden, tradition to that of their white counterparts.
Through this historical context, the story of the Majola family emerges as a vivid example of the deep commitments and unshakeable sense of community that sustained African sport during the apartheid years, and of a family who have continued to serve cricket with commitment since unity.
The publication is dedicated to the late Khaya Majola, who served as the UCB’s director of amateur cricket before his death in 2000.
In his foreword to the 370-page coffee-table book, former president Nelson Mandela states that Odendaal deserves credit for bringing to life the rich traditions and history of sport among black South Africans.
”During the apartheid era black people were deliberately erased from history and their experiences were negated. Now, as we enjoy the benefits of a hard-fought democracy, it is important to correct these exclusions,” wrote Mandela.
”This book, focusing on one small aspect of our national life, shows how big they have been.”
Odendaal fills these gaps with intricate detail and demonstrates a clear understanding of cricket’s affect on black society for over a century. He traces the game through the mission schools like Loveday and Healdtown right through to its contribution to the resistance to apartheid and the creation of unity towards the end of the 20th century.
Spanning 150 years, this extraordinary work tells the vivid stories of a previously hidden tradition which stretched the boundaries imposed by an oppressive society.
The book will be available in bookshops in early August.
”We in South African cricket are committed to building a culture around the game which celebrates all those who have been part of cricket’s rich tapestry. We are certain that this glorious publication will assist us in fostering our transformation vision. In that vision, South African cricket is at the forefront of nation building both on and off the field. Recording and acknowledging our abundant history is an important step in building our nation,” said Majola.
Balfour commented that the book succeeds in capturing the achievements, the glory, the struggles and the heartache of the hitherto unheralded cricketers of our country.
”Despite the major strides made by the game of cricket, there remained a vacuum of untold stories — until now. In his portrait of cricket secrets, Andre Odendaal captures the most celebrated moments of black cricket.
”He dispels the commonly-held myth that the majority of our country’s people had little or no interest in the game. In capturing the journey of black cricket, Odendaal reveals a side of the game that speaks of passion, sacrifice and commitment,” he said.
”It is an inspiring story that will both enthrall and inform. In a real sense, it restores and cements the dignity and pride of generations of cricketers who were denied the opportunity to play the game they loved in circumstances that others took for granted,†Balfour added. – Sapa