Exiles and Kings

Basil D'Oliveira's selection for the tour of his homeland in 1968 set in motion a sequence of events that would ultimately lead to South Africa's exile from international sport for more than 20 years. Ironically, this enforced separation would draw the cricketing nations of England and South Africa closer together. A generation of South African world-class players, lost to Test cricket, found their place in the English counties; as the years in exile became decades some chose to pursue their international ambitions in the colors of their adopted country. At the same time, English players were heading in the opposite direction, risking censure and exile, as members of rebel touring parties. This study examines the modern history of English cricket through the lens of this complex and-at times-uneasy relationship, examining the impact made by a number of players from the African cricketing nations. From the traumas of the late summer of 1968 through the years of exile and rebellion to the redemption delivered by another South African batsman at The Oval in 2005, the African imprint on English cricket is clear and indelible.