LEFT ARM OVER
NEIL MANTHORP: Tests will provide distraction from the real world
Preparation has been excellent for the first Test in Perth, but Proteas face hurdles to score an unprecedented hat-trick of series victories on Australian soil, writes Neil Manthorp
Almost there. The anticipation of great sporting contests, like the pursuit of love, is just as important as the attainment. South African players and their supporters have been starved of Test cricket for too long, but the time has now come for feast to replace the recent famine. Preparation has been excellent for the first Test in Perth on Thursday and there will be no excuses if things go wrong. The forces on both sides are well primed and a series of huge significance to both teams is set to go. What a pleasure and a privilege, and what a welcome distraction from the real world. One of the key differences between South African sports teams and those from other, more consistent nations in decades past was the ability to recognise and accept the difference between sport and the real world. It is quite understandable because sport affects the real world in a quantifiable way whereas the effect that politics and the real world has on sport and sportsmen goes unmeasured. Even wealthy...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.