Tell me about it. Normally I would say that they got exactly what they deserved ( a lifetime ban) but some of them genuinely needed to make a livelihood and provide for their families.Not to mention that the likes of Croft and S Clarke would have found it difficult to play for the first WI team with the likes of Garner, Holding, MM, and Roberts around.
Got to remember that it wasn't South Africa that was racist but just the government. All of our cricketers fought apartheid. Our provincial teams also had West Indians in the 80s and into the 90s like Alvin Kallichirran, Sylvester Clarke, Malcolm Marshall, Desmond Haynes, Kenny Benjamin, Eldine Baptiste, Vasbert Drakes.
Hmmm dunno if I agree. By the 80's South Africa were on the decline.
I think the team into the 80s less some of the 60's and 70's player carry overs would have been interesting.
I think its safe to say these 3 would have been gone.
Eddie Barlow - born '40 (retired from FC cricket 1983 aged 43)
Denis Lindsay - born '39 (retired from FC cricket 1974 aged 35)
Peter Pollock - born '41 (retired from FC cricket 1972 aged 31 to concentrate on business career)
Past their best but could have played into early 80's ?
Barry Richards - born '45 (retired from FC cricket '83 aged 38)
Lee Irvine - born '44 (retired from FC cricket 1977 aged 33 to concentrate on business career)
Mike Procter - born '46 (retired from FC cricket 1989 aged 43)
Vince van der Bijl - born '48 (retired from FC cricket 1983 aged 35)
So a team could have looked this.
1.)
Jimmy Cook - born '53 (aged 27 in 1980) (retired from FC cricket 1995 aged 42)
2.)
Henry Fotheringham - born '53 (aged 27 in 1980) (retired from FC cricket 1990 aged 37)
3.)
Peter Kirsten - born '55 (aged 25 in 1980) (retired from FC cricket 1997 aged 42)
4.)
Graeme Pollock - born '44 (aged 36 in 1980) (retired from FC cricket 1987 aged 43)
5.)
Ken McEwan - born '52 (aged 28 in 1980) (retired from FC cricket 1992 aged 40) or
Kevin McKeznie - born '48 (aged 32 in 1980) (retired from FC cricket 1987 aged 39)
6.)
Clive Rice - born '49 (aged 31 in 1980) (retired from FC cricket 1994 aged 45)
7.)
Alan Kourie - born '51 (aged 29 in 1980) (retired from FC cricket 1989 aged 38) or
Brian McMillan - born '63 (aged 17 in 1980)
8.)
Ray Jennings - born '54 (aged 26 in 1980) (retired from FC cricket 1993 aged 39)
9.)
Garth Le Roux - born '55 (aged 25 in 1980) (retired from FC cricket 1989 aged 34)
10.)
Stephen Jefferies - born '59 (aged 21 in 1980) (retired from FC cricket 1994 aged 35)
11.)
Hugh Page born '62 (aged 18 in 1980),
Corrie van Zyl - born '61 (aged 19 in 1980) ,
Denys Hobson - born '51 (aged 29 in 1980) (retired from FC cricket 1987 aged 36)
NOTES
* Real Possibility that
Kepler Wessels aged 23 in 1980 +
Allan Lamb aged 26 in 1980 would have been in with a chance of selection for South Africa in their best years.
* Fotheringham came in for Barry Richards and he was a high class player. Cook and Fotheringham was a famous partnership for the 'Mean Machine'
* Peter Kirsten was a classy stroke-maker unlike his brother. Was the Rhodes/Gibbs/de Villiers of his era too in the field. Bowled decent offies. King-pin player.
* Graeme Pollock scored a century against the rebel Australians in 1987, the year he retired. Still could have produced at a late age.
* Ken McEwan scored 27000 FC runs in SAF,ENG,AUS an was a great player of spin where as Kevin McKeznie was the best player of the short ball in SA without helmets.
* Clive Rice the inspirational leader. One of the best all-rounders to have played the game. Made things happen with the ball even till a late age and reliable run scorer.
* Jennings more a keeper who could bat which was the norm. Lindsay and Gilchrist were the freaks.
The rest depends on the make-up of the team -
Kourie was an accurate finger spinner but brought all-round qualities at first slip and with the bat. But if they chose to go with leg-spinner Hobson they could have played the young all-rounder Brian McMillan from the mid 80's who was the best all-rounder in the early 90's instead of Kourie.
The opening bowlers would have been the awesome duo of Garth Le Roux and Stephen Jefferies. Jefferies brought left-arm variation with swing at decent speeds. Lots is said of Garth Le Roux for his pace and menace but not much of Jefferies. You would have heard Mark Nicholas talk about Jefferies in the last test match of how good he was to him.
When van der Bijl retired they would have looked for another quick. They tried two decent players in Kenny Watson and Rupert 'Spook' Hanley but eventually settled on the younger duo Hugh Page and Corrie van Zyl. Both had beautiful actions but van Zyl was quicker. Page was a good line bowler who used his bounce much like van der Bijl but not as good where as van Zyl could have been the real deal back-up quick to Le Roux and Jefferies with Rice and McMillan supporting. Then the young bucks like
Allan Donald & co were coming though mid to late 80's.
..as i WI fan i must praise the Australians because they've pretty much single handidly kept our 29 test series without defeat record intact!!..clearly if they didn't win yesterday and in 2009 SA would have gotten very close indeed.
