Faiek Davids remembers SA's first ODI in Kolkata, which took place 32 years ago

“Has it been 32 years, already,” Faiek Davids asks disbelievingly? 

“It’s all still very fresh in one’s memory.” 

Davids was a part of the first South African team that undertook a brief tour to India in 1991.

It marked the official return of South Africa to the international arena after decades of isolation because of apartheid.

Eden Gardens, where Sunday’s World Cup match between South Africa and India is being played, was the venue in 1991 for South Africa's first ODI, on November 10 that year.

“Everything happened so quickly. As players, we weren’t aware what the status of the unity negotiations were between the SA Cricket Union and the SA Cricket Board, and then suddenly I got a call from Ali Bacher saying I was part of the tour party. I didn’t even have a visa. I was completely over the moon,” said Davids.

One of the great all-rounders, who played under the auspices of the old SA Cricket Board, Davids was 27 years old at the time of that initial Indian tour and still vividly recalls the scenes that greeted that group of players, led by the late Clive Rice. 

“It was a frenzy. None of us expected what we saw, just thousands of people, I want to say millions because it felt like that, just thousands, all lining the streets around the bus, just to see us,” Davids said. 

“India was not part of my plans. To be part of that event, it was historic, just incredible.” 

“I had never been overseas before. Obviously I’d dreamt of travelling the world, but to be doing it while playing cricket, was incredible.” 

There was a twist, which Davids explains was both a sad and happy part.

The latter from being a member of the squad, the sadness from the fact that he didn’t play, and was never slated to do so either because he along with Hussein Manack, Hansie Cronje and Derek Crookes, were there to observe — as junior players — even though Davids had years of experience under his belt.   

It later became clear that for Davids and Manack, their presence was mere “window dressing” — almost an appeasement for the SACB side in the negotiations about unity, to help in ensuring the tour took place.

“I wasn’t politically in tune at the time, but it definitely felt like (window dressing) when I thought about it afterwards. I just wanted to play.” 

That chance never arose, not at Eden Gardens, where about 100,000 people watched that first ODI, nor in any of the subsequent matches on that short tour. Crookes and Cronje went on to become full internationals, something Davids said left him bitterly disappointed. 

“You look at it and our pathways at the time, and you would have felt it would be similar, but it was like two graphs going in opposite directions,” said Davids. 

He went to the World Cup in 1992 as well, the first time South Africa participated in the tournament, again not to play and he wasn’t an official member of the squad.

His feelings about the 1992 semifinal in Sydney, and South Africa's exit at the tournament, differs greatly from the established narrative about a tragic outcome.

“In my heart I couldn’t support us, if we had won that match or won the final, players of colour would have been pushed further back down the pecking order.” 

Davids retired as a player in 1996, later going into coaching.

His feelings about the national team differ greatly now from three decades ago.

“There is just more opportunity now to play and guys get the backing from coaches, which wasn’t the case in the early 1990s. 

“I’ll definitely be watching (on Sunday), I’m fully supportive of our guys, I coached against some of them domestically.” 

Even though Eden Gardens has received a touch-up since 1991 and its capacity has been reduced to 70,000, Davids said he had no doubt, when he turns on his television, the memories from 32 years ago will come flooding back.

“Just getting into the ground was amazing with all the people, the atmosphere, all those firecrackers, which sounded like bombs going off, it was electrifying.”