Durban, July 23: The rich history of cricket among black South Africans over the past 150 years has been traced in a new book which is expected to give a fillip to the efforts by the government to make the game more representative in the country. The 370-page book -- 'The Story of An African Game' -- has been written by professor Andre Odendaal at the request of the United Cricket Board of South Africa. This book follows the recent publication of 'Blacks in Whites' which is an account of cricket played by the Indian, coloured and African communities in South Africa. The new cricket book, which has a foreword by former president and nobel laureate Nelson Mandela, was presented to sports minister Ngconde Balfour at a ceremony in Johannesburg yesterday.
Odendaal relies on rare 19th century African-language newspaper sources, photo albums and extensive interviews to produce what has been described as a "fascinating and intimate account of a rich cricketing culture" that began with the establishment of the first black mission school cricket sides and clubs in the 1850s.
Mandela, in his foreword, writes that Odendaal deserves credit for bringing to life the rich traditions and history of sport among black South Africans.
Bureau Report