Flower Admits It Must Have Been Difficult For Black Cricketers
Andy Flower, former Zimbabwe’s cricketer feels that he could have done better to handle the racial issues within the cricket team during his time.
He is believed to be one of a few cricketers who advocated racial integration within the national team and Zimbabwean cricket. During those days, cricket was an elite game reserved for white people.
Writing the foreword for Tatenda Taibu’s autobiography, Keeper of Faith, Flower, said:
Looking back, I wish I had been wiser in the way I responded.I think that (former South Africa captain) Graeme Smith and the people around him handled a similar situation in South Africa with more wisdom and with a better understanding of the bigger picture. It must have been difficult for youngsters such as Tatenda and his friends Hamilton Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri and Vusi Sibanda, but I think they handled themselves extremely well.
He also explained that wars fought against the Zimbabwe Cricket Union had nothing to do with the recommended quota system aimed at promoting black participation. He said that racial issues coincided with remuneration issues which were already ongoing. He, however, indicated that there were some white players who resented the idea of bringing in the black players.
Flower noted that in the 1990s, indications that cricket could no longer be only a reserve for the whites started emerging. He noted that a number of black cricketers emerged on the scene but Tatenda Taibu proved to be way above others.
