There are no guarantees in sport, but going by South Africa's track record, the Indian Premier League can be assured of success when it comes to the organisation aspect of the tournament.
There are no guarantees in sport, but going by South Africa's track record, the Indian Premier League can be assured of success when it comes to the organisation aspect of the tournament.
Australia and England are good, but South Africa takes things to a new level, say the experts. After all, SA's organisational skills played a big part in bringing international cricket back to the republic in 1992.
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Kapil Dev and South Africa cricket boss Ali Bacher in the motorcade on India's arrival for the 1992 tour. PIC/MiD DAY ARCHIVES |
Ali Bacher, refused to be only known for leading his country to a 4-0 shellacking of Australia in the last Test series South Africa played before their 22-year exile. He organised rebel tours, fought his enemies, won over the press and realised his dream of bringing SA back to the international fold.
Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola was not wrong in saying India and the rainbow nation enjoyed an excellent cricketing relationship. It was India whom South Africa invited to be part of their historic comeback Test series in 1992-93. Bacher and team's hospitality was never to be forgotten by the Indian players and media.
Bacher's visionWV Raman, the former opener who made two trips (1992-93 and 1996-97) to SA remembered how Bacher was in touch with the team throughout the 92-93 tour attending to their every need long after he organised a motorcade on arrival. "When we learnt we were going to visit Soweto, we felt Ali was going overboard in using us to diffuse certain tensions. But when we went there, we realised what he was doing to improve the lives of the under-privileged black kids.
"Look, all countries have infrastructure but with Ali's efforts over the years, South Africa are super when it comes to organisation. He was a visionary."
The media have always been well looked after in South Africa. The 2003 World Cup was a memorable event for them made more unforgettable due to the efforts of the volunteers who worked tirelessly.
Their reward was a certificate which would help them get jobs. On arriving at the press box in Centurion for India's final one-dayer against South Africa in 2006, this writer was surprised to find a sheet in his media kit which contained telephone numbers of important personnel available for any assistance. This list included the caterers and even the electrician.
South Africa gives professionalism a good name.
