Basil D'Oliveira facts for kids
D'Oliveira, photographed in 1968
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| Full name |
Basil Lewis D'Oliveira
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| Born | 4 October 1931 Cape Town, Cape Province, Union of South Africa |
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| Died | 19 November 2011 (aged 80) Worcester, Worcestershire, England |
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| Nickname | Dolly, Bas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right arm medium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | All-rounder, coach | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 432) | 16 June 1966 v West Indies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 10 August 1972 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 3) | 5 January 1971 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 28 August 1972 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1960–1963 | Middleton C.C. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1964–1980 | Worcestershire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 10 April 2008
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Basil Lewis D'Oliveira (born October 4, 1931 – died November 19, 2011) was a famous English cricketer. He was born in South Africa and had a Cape Coloured background. This meant he faced unfair treatment due to apartheid, a system of racial segregation in South Africa.
D'Oliveira was nicknamed "Dolly" or "Bas". He played for Worcestershire from 1964 to 1980. He also played for England in 44 Test matches and four One Day Internationals between 1966 and 1972. His possible selection for a cricket tour to South Africa in 1968–69 caused a big event known as the D'Oliveira affair.
Contents
Early Life and Cricket Dreams
Basil D'Oliveira was born in Cape Town, South Africa. His family was Catholic and had roots in India and Portugal. As a boy, he loved cricket. He would often visit the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town. He even climbed trees outside the stadium to watch the games.
In South Africa, Basil captained the national cricket team for non-white players. He also played football for the non-white national team.
Moving to England and Becoming a Star
Because of the unfair rules of apartheid in South Africa, Basil could not play for his country's main cricket team. With help from supporters, he moved to England in 1960. There, he joined the Central Lancashire Cricket League team of Middleton. He was surprised to see white people doing everyday jobs and serving him in restaurants. This was very different from South Africa.
In 1964, he joined the first-class county team Worcestershire County Cricket Club. A "first-class" team is a top-level professional team. He then became a British citizen.
Playing for England
In 1966, Basil was chosen to play for the England cricket team. He was an all-rounder, meaning he was good at both batting and bowling. In his first Test match against the West Indies, he scored 27 runs. He also took 1 wicket for 24 runs and 1 wicket for 46 runs.
He continued to play well, scoring 76 and 54 runs in his third Test. He also took 2 wickets in each innings. In the fourth Test, he scored a strong 88 runs. England lost these matches, but Basil showed his skill.
Later, he helped England win against India and Pakistan. He scored 109 runs against India. He also hit two half-centuries against Pakistan. In 1967, he was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year. This is a very important award in cricket.
Challenges and Big Scores
In 1968, Basil played against the West Indies again. He didn't score as many runs, but he bowled a lot. Later that year, England played Australia in the Ashes series. Basil scored 87 runs in one match. However, he was then left out of the team for three games.
He was called back for the final match. There, he scored an amazing 158 runs against Australia. This big score seemed to guarantee his spot for the upcoming tour to South Africa.
Basil continued to play for England until 1972. He played in 41 Test matches in total. He scored 2484 runs, with five centuries (scores of 100 or more) and 15 half-centuries. He also took 47 wickets.
Playing Style
Basil D'Oliveira was a strong batsman. He hit the ball with powerful strokes. He was also a very determined player. After England won a series against Australia in 1970–71, he famously told every Australian he met, "We stuffed you." This showed his competitive spirit.
The D'Oliveira Affair
The most famous part of Basil D'Oliveira's story is the "D'Oliveira Affair." In 1968, the England cricket team was planning a tour to South Africa. At that time, South Africa had a system called apartheid. This system separated people based on their race and treated non-white people unfairly.
South African officials knew that if Basil D'Oliveira, a non-white player, was in the England team, the tour would likely be cancelled. They put pressure on the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which was in charge of English cricket. The MCC decided not to pick Basil for the tour at first. Many people felt this was done to keep cricket ties with South Africa, even with apartheid.
However, there was a lot of protest from the public and the media. Then, another player got injured, and Basil D'Oliveira was finally called up to the team. But South Africa's Prime Minister, B. J. Vorster, made it clear that Basil's inclusion was not acceptable.
Despite many talks, the tour was cancelled. Because of this, South Africa was banned from playing Test cricket for 22 years. This event was a huge turning point in the sporting boycott of apartheid South Africa. It showed the world how unfair apartheid was. The D'Oliveira Affair helped change opinions against the apartheid government in South Africa. It led to big changes in South African sports and society.
Legacy and Awards
Basil D'Oliveira is remembered as a brave and talented cricketer.
- In 2000, he was named one of the top 10 South African cricketers of the century. This was special because he never played for South Africa's main team due to apartheid.
- In 2004, a special trophy for Test series between England and South Africa was created. It was named the Basil D'Oliveira Trophy.
- He received the CBE award in 2005. This is a high honor in the United Kingdom.
- Also in 2005, a stand at the New Road cricket ground in Worcester was named after him.
After he stopped playing, Basil wrote his autobiography called Time to Declare in 1980. In 2004, a book called Basil D'Oliveira: Cricket and Conspiracy was written about him. It won an award for best sports book.
Personal Life
Basil D'Oliveira was married to Naomi. Their son, Damian D'Oliveira, also played first-class cricket for Worcestershire. His younger brother, Ivan, played for Leicestershire. Basil's grandson, Brett D'Oliveira, currently plays for Worcestershire.
Death
In his later life, Basil D'Oliveira had Parkinson's disease. He passed away in England on November 19, 2011, at the age of 80.
His life and impact were highlighted in Time magazine by Trevor Manuel. In 2018, he was given the Freedom of the City of Worcester award. This recognized his great contributions to the city.
See also
In Spanish: Basil D'Oliveira para niños
