Ali Bacher organised rebel tours to South Africa during the days of apartheid, was among the most influential cricket administrators when his country returned to the international fold in the early 90s and earned quite a reputation for resolving vexing issues.
Yet, something that is often forgotten while discussing Bacher is the fact that he led a South African ‘dream side’ that routed Bill Lawry’s formidable Australians 4-0 here in 1970; South Africa did not play Test cricket again for 22 years.
A determined batsman and an outstanding fielder, Bacher’s greatest moments came as captain.
Talking to The Hindu here on Sunday, Bacher, now 75, remembered, “We were quietly confident. Had there been a fifth Test, we would have defeated Australia 5-0.”
That South African team had Graeme and Peter Pollock, Barry Richards, Mike Procter, Eddie Barlow — some of the finest cricketers South Africa has seen.
Finest moment
Talking about Graeme Pollock, Bacher remembered a conversation with the legendary Don Bradman. “Meeting Don Bradman was one of my finest moments. I stayed with him in Adelaide during the 1992 World and I asked him how good Graeme was. He replied, ‘Marginally better than Garry Sobers as a batsman.’ That’s how good he was. His brother Peter could bowl very fast.”
Highlighting the gloriously attacking qualities of Barry Richards, Bacher said, “He represented South Australia for some time and when the side met Western Australia at Perth, he was beaten very early in the innings by Dennis Lillee and ’keeper Rod Marsh said, ‘We thought he could play.”
Bacher added, “And Barry responded to that comment by scoring more than 300 hundred in a day, hammering both Lillee and Graham McKenzie.”
Among the moves he remembered as captain against Australia was a shuffle in the batting order during the third Test in Johannesburg, 1970.
He said, “I changed Eddie Barlow, who batted No. 5 to opening, in the second innings. And Trevor Goddard, who opened, was pushed to No. 9. It worked. Barlow got a hundred!”
In his administrative career too, Bacher became a mover and shaker.
