Rebel cricket tours of South Africa by Australia, England, West Indies & Sri Lanka from 1982 to 1990 due to apartheid.
3 min readSouth Africa was banned by the international cricket bodies due to apartheid policy, which was not accepted by the international cricket authorities & thus these were known as rebel tours in cricket.
England was the 1st country in 1982 to embark on the rebel tour to stun the cricketing world.
Squad: Graham Gooch (captain), Dennis Amiss, Geoffrey Boycott, John Emburey, Mike Hendrick, Geoff Humpage, Alan Knott, Wayne Larkins, John Lever, Chris Old, Arnold Sidebottom, Les Taylor, Derek Underwood, Peter Willey, Bob Woolmer.[18][19]Graham Dilley had pulled out of the tour before it got underway.[20]
South Africa won both the test series and the odi series, which boasted of some great names, Mike Procter, express pacer Van der Bijl & Jimmy Cook. England cricketers were banned for 3 years & that was the end of some of England cricketers careers. Gooch and Emburey went onto play a lot of matches after the ban was over.
Sri Lanka were the next team on the rebel tour led by Bandula Warnapura. For Sri Lanka, it was something good, as they were just finding their feet in international cricket at that time.
Squad: Bandula Warnapura (captain), Flavian Aponso, Hemantha Devapriya, Lantra Fernando, Mahes Goonatilleke, Nirmal Hettiaratchi, Lalith Kaluperuma, Susantha Karunaratne, Bernard Perera, Anura Ranasinghe, Ajit de Silva, Bandula de Silva, Jeryl Woutersz, Tony Opatha (player/manager).[25][unreliable source?]
West Indies was the next to undertake the rebel tour. West Indies were the most powerful team in the eighties. West Indies, even after losing Lawrence Rowe, Collis King & pacer Sylvester Clarke had enough reserves to fire. West Indies strength was their sheer pace. Colin Croft, Bernard Julien & Ezra Moseley were so quick, that for the first time ever, the Springboks had to don helmets.
- 1982-3 squad: Lawrence Rowe (captain), Richard Austin, Herbert Chang, Sylvester Clarke, Colin Croft, Alvin Greenidge, Bernard Julien, Alvin Kallicharran, Collis King, Everton Mattis, Ezra Moseley, David Murray, Derick Parry, Franklyn Stephenson, Emmerson Trotman, Ray Wynter, Albert Padmore (player/manager).[33][unreliable source?]
- 1983-4 squad: Lawrence Rowe (captain), Hartley Alleyne, Faoud Bacchus, Sylvester Clarke, Colin Croft, Alvin Greenidge, Bernard Julien, Alvin Kallicharran, Collis King, Monte Lynch, Everton Mattis, Ezra Moseley, David Murray, Derick Parry, Franklyn Stephenson, Emmerson Trotman, Albert Padmore (player/manager).[34]
- These cricketers received a life ban from cricket.
- Now its about the Australia rebel tour in 1985 86 and 87. Perfect sportsman, Kim Hughes led the side with bowlers, Alderman, Rackemann & Rodney Hogg.
- 1985-6 squad: Kim Hughes (captain), Terry Alderman, John Dyson, Peter Faulkner, Mike Haysman, Tom Hogan, Rodney Hogg, Trevor Hohns, John Maguire, Rod McCurdy, Carl Rackemann, Steve Rixon, Greg Shipperd, Steve Smith, Mick Taylor, Graham Yallop.[40][unreliable source?]
- 1986-7 squad: Kim Hughes (captain), Terry Alderman, John Dyson, Peter Faulkner, Mike Haysman, Tom Hogan, Rodney Hogg, Trevor Hohns, John Maguire, Rod McCurdy, Carl Rackemann, Steve Rixon, Greg Shipperd, Steve Smith, Mick Taylor, Kepler Wessels, Graham Yallop.[41][unreliable source?]
England was the final country to leave for a rebel tour in 1990 led by Mike Gatting
Squad: Mike Gatting (captain), Bill Athey, Kim Barnett, Chris Broad, Chris Cowdrey, Graham Dilley, Richard Ellison, John Emburey, Neil Foster, Bruce French, Paul Jarvis, Matthew Maynard, Tim Robinson, Greg Thomas, Alan Wells, David Graveney (player/manager).[45]
Finally, from 1991, South Africa were readmitted into international cricket & the word rebel in cricket was gone.