A s the England men’s team arrive at Bridgetown airport for their three white-ball matches in Barbados over the coming days, the usual scrum of loca

The 1983 West Indian rebel tour to South Africa that shocked cricket

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2024-11-07 05:00:03

A s the England men’s team arrive at Bridgetown airport for their three white-ball matches in Barbados over the coming days, the usual scrum of local and international media interest can be expected. Nothing, however, will compare with the chaotic scenes 41 years ago in the same place when the world’s press discovered that 16 West Indies players were flying out on a rebel tour to apartheid South Africa, a renegade action that shocked the cricketing world.

The rebels had planned to depart from Barbados in total secrecy, but their cover was blown in spectacular fashion by the Guyanese cricket commentator and journalist Joseph “Reds” Perreira, who lifted the lid on the enterprise after receiving a tip-off from a senior figure in the West Indies game.

The identity of that person has always been kept a closely guarded secret by Perreira – until now. During research for my new biography of the great 1950s Bajan cricketer Clyde Walcott, Perreira spoke to me about the Bridgetown airport incident – and revealed for the first time that it was Walcott who provided the all-important inside information.