Historical Significance
This was an historic time for South African sport as the national sporting teams made their way back into the International arena, and reminded viewers around the world of the country's sporting pedigree. The International Cricket Council (ICC) re-admitted South Africa to world cricket in July 1991, after 21 years during which the only significant exposure to South African cricket had been through "rebel" tours.
Graham Gooch, who led the rebel tour in 1982, which resulted in a three-year ban from international cricket for the former England captain, commented on the unsanctioned visits: "I have no regrets. At the time the South Africans saw the tour as a way of keeping cricket strong...I wouldn't like to say whether it changed anything one way or the other...All I can say now is that I'm pleased they are back on the big stage."
This was the cricket team's first tour to England since 1965, and tour manager Fritz Bing summed up the visitors' mood on arrival, noting that they returned to "the Mother Country not as rebels, beggars, or enemies, but as confident, happy children...we come proudly through the front door". Although there were no black cricketers in this tour party, the team enjoyed overwhelming support back home, with Jonty Rhodes being identified as a new hero among young black cricketers in South Africa.
South Africa's deputy president, Thabo Mbeki, flew to London for the First Test, and Dr Ali Bacher was feted at a Lord's Taverners dinner on the eve of the Test, where he gave a speech outlining the development plan for cricket in South Africa's townships.
Despite all the media attention, Wessels was keen to keep the focus on cricket, rather than politics. "We're a more confident side now, though," he said the day before the First Test, "and no longer regard ourselves as newcomers. We have to look past the emotion of the occasion, but we have been involved in a few special occasions since our return to the fold, so we should be getting used to it by now."
Read more about this topic: South African Cricket Team In England In 1994
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