We examine the Basil D'Oliveira affair and the rebel tours to South Africa in part one of our series on the Proteas
Sunday 19 April 2020 11:59, UK
We are giving you the chance to re-watch our 2017 series on the dramatic history of South African cricket.
Cricket and the Rainbow Nation charted the Proteas' highs, including how they ascended to the top of the Test rankings under Graeme Smith.
But the low points are also examined, notably South Africa's international sporting exile for over 20 years during the apartheid era.
Every Sunday over the next few weeks we will bring you an episode on skysports.com and we begin with the story of cricket in apartheid…
When Cape Town-born Basil D'Oliveira was banned from touring South Africa with England in 1968/9 because of the colour of his skin, one of Test cricket's proudest countries was plunged into a 21-year period of isolation from the international stage as the world united in the battle against the apartheid regime
We tell the story of that fight and the impact it had on the country and the players, both black and white, who were caught up in it.
We also look at how the South African cricket authorities tried to beat the sporting blockade by recruiting for rebel tours and how the contests created huge controversy and ended some England players' careers.
Plus, Dr Ali Bacher explains how he feared for the life of Mike Gatting, who captained England on the 1990 rebel tour, with protesters seething at the games taking place.
