Paul Adams’ Place in the History Books

Every so often a cricketer emerges whose contribution to the sport goes beyond merely what takes place on the field of play. I am referring to the likes of Brian Lara in the Caribbean and before him Viv Richards, but also to Sachin Tendulkar in India and Australia’s Shane Warne.

Players of such stature have become figureheads of both team and time and are used to measure wider social and economic change in their country/region.

Though not of the same standard of the above players, Paul Adams, who chose the start of the domestic season to retire, provides a means through which South Africa’s transformation process can be examined.

Adams took eight wickets on his Western Province debut against Northerns, earning him a call-up for South Africa A against England in which he returned match figures of nine for 181. Six weeks later he became the youngest cricketer to play for South Africa when picked for the Boxing Day Test. He took eight wickets in the last two Tests of the series as the Proteas beat England 1-0.

Bursting onto the scene he was considered the great hope, not merely for his abilities with the ball but in the expectation that he could appeal to the majority of black South Africans who preferred football to cricket. His unorthodox action proved effective in early appearances before batters learned how to read him and his body rejected the strain placed upon it.

Yet Adams seemed destined for the history books. A member of Basil D’Oliveira’s St. Augustine’s club, his international debut coincided with Nelson Mandela’s visit to the Port Elizabeth ground.

The start of his international career also coincided with key debates about the transformation of South African cricket. His unusual position at delivery earned him the nickname, "Goggo," which in Afrikaans refers to a small gnat-like insect that has arms and legs thrashing everywhere.

Some black cricketers took exception to this association with clumsiness, a throwback to an era in which their temperament was questioned by white counterparts.

Adams’ omission along with Makhaya Ntini from the side to play the West Indies in 1998 led to condemnation by Ali Bacher, the managing director of the United Cricket Board of South Africa.

The national coach, Bob Woolmer, failed to foresee the difficulties in selecting an all-white XI to play against the first visiting West Indies team and when Pat Symcox was omitted from the side to accommodate Adams for the fourth Test of the series, his captain Hansie Cronje walked out in protest.

It was this series that led the political authorities to conclude that the UCB were less interested in the long-term interests of the sport. The ANC issued a statement condemning the national selectors for omitting the black cricketers for the flimsiest of reasons.

Never again would South Africa select an all-white side, yet now Adams would have to face the cries of tokenism. Nicky Boje, his closest rival for the spinner’s position walked away from the national set-up when Adams was selected ahead of him for the tour to India in 2006.

However, an examination of the records shows Adams to be the superior bowler of the era. His 134 wickets in 45 Tests compare with Boje’s 100 in 43, whilst an average of 32.87 is ten runs better than Boje, Claude Henderson and Pat Symcox the others who challenged Adams for the spinner’s birth.

Retirement at the age of 31 is a shame for South Africa’s sixth highest Test wicket-taker. After all he is five years younger than Bryce McGain, the spinner who was set to make his debut for Australia until a shoulder injury sent him home from India. A career beckons in the commentary booth whilst his legacy will help provide the basis of the latest chapter in the history of black cricket in South Africa.