The trophy is named for Basil D'Oliveira, a South African born English Test cricketer whose inclusion in the English squad to tour South Africa in 1968-69 led to the cancellation of the tour following objections from South African authorities due to D'Oliveira's classification as "coloured".
Two top cricketers in South African history AB De Villiers and Dale Steyn made test international debut in a Test match against England in 2004's Basil D'Oliveira Trophy.