da esport bet： Cricket lost one of its most dedicated and colourful servants on Wednesday when Krish Mackerdhuj, the first black president of South Africa’s United Cricket Board (UCB), died in hospital in Durban
Telford Vice26-May-2004Cricket lost one of its most dedicated and colourful servants on Wednesdaywhen Krish Mackerdhuj, the first black president of South Africa’s UnitedCricket Board (UCB), died in hospital in Durban. He was 64.Mackerdhuj underwent knee surgery on Saturday, and seemed on the mendbefore showing signs of heart congestion on Tuesday. He suffered a fatalheart attack in the early hours of Wednesday morning.Not the least of Mackerdhuj’s achievements was the important role he playedin South Africa landing the right to host the last World Cup. Ali Bacher,the former UCB managing director, explained: “He and I went to Lord’s inFebruary 1993 for a 12-hour meeting on future World Cups, and he played akey role in South Africa securing the 2003 World Cup.”Bacher described Mackerdhuj as a “champion for non-racial sport andcricket”, and an “outstanding ambassador for South African cricket”. Heexpanded: “We had a warm and close relationship. Before unification he wasperceived as a hard-liner, but he was a soft, compassionate person.”Ray Mali, the current UCB president, also paid a fulsome tribute. “SouthAfrican cricket has lost a visionary leader,” he said. “Krish played a keyrole toward unity, both in his position as president of the [non-racial]South African Cricket Board and the UCB. His strength, determination andspirit were inspirational to all as he led South Africa into theinternational fold. He was a fine man and a wonderful leader.”Mackerdhuj, a chemist by profession, crowned a successful career in cricketadministration when he was elected the South African board’s president in1992. He remained in the position until 1998, and was then appointed SouthAfrica’s ambassador to Japan, a job he took to with relish and held untilthe end of 2003.Cassim Docrat, the chief executive of the KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union,summed up Mackerdhuj’s important place in the history of South Africancricket. “The first part of his involvement in sport was in the struggle,”he said. “He believed all South Africans should be equal in sport, and thatnon-racial sport could only be played in a free South Africa.” Docrat saidthat Mackerdhuj was a vital figure in the 1991 unification of a previouslyracially divided game in South Africa: “He was pivotal, and he was theright man for the job of UCB president.”Mackerdhuj was an eloquent and persuasive speaker, and a skilled negotiatorwhose lively sense of humour in the midst of heated debates was often hismost effective weapon. He was an executive member of the apartheid-eraSouth African Council on Sport, and served as National Sports Congressvice-president. He was presented with the State President’s award forsports administration by Nelson Mandela in 1994.Mackerdhuj’s funeral will take place in Durban on Saturday. He leaves hiswife, Sminthara, and two sons, Prashim and Arvin.