Not Cricket: The Basil d'Oliveira Conspiracy (TV 2004)

Director:

Paul Yule

Stars:

John Arlott, Jack Bannister, Alec Douglas-Home

Cast

Credited cast:
John Arlott	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jack Bannister	...	Himself
Alec Douglas-Home	...	Himself (archive footage)
Peter Hain	...	Himself
Jim Laker	...	Himself (archive footage)
Nelson Mandela	...	Himself (archive footage)
Bruce Murray	...	Himself (as Professor Bruce Murray)
Peter Oborne	...	Himself / Narrator

Storyline

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

2004 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

User Reviews

How to make a real difference in the world, part 1

This documentary shows how a single cricket player, Basil d'Oliveira, managed to upset the whole system.

In the 1970s, South Africa's racist regime wouldn't permit mixed sports. It was when Basil d'Oliveira, classified by South Africa as coloured, became a well-known player that a crisis developed.

As documentaries go, this one is fairly straightforward. At the time of shooting, many of the key players were still alive, so most information is first-hand. Interviews with family members, team-mates and d'Oliveira himself give nice background, but the juice is in the politics. The member of the selection committee squirms and denies very nicely, but it becomes obvious that politics were unavoidable.

If you want to make an impact on the world, this film shows how. Find your crisis, and stand for something in exactly the right place, and you can move mountains.