PAPAS, 'MCC SELECTION COMMITTEE', INK, 1967

267 by 406mm., pen and ink, signed and inscribed with title below mount, mounted, framed and glazed

EXHIBITED:
‘The Illustrators. The British Art of Illustration 1800-2013’, Chris Beetles Gallery,
November 2013-January 2014, no 242; ‘An Ashes Celebration. An Exhibition of Cricket Cartoons’, Chris Beetles Gallery, 19-29 August 2015

Guardian, 31 January 1967

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The build-up to the England Cricket team’s 1968-69 tour of South Africa was overshadowed by the potential inclusion of Basil D’Oliveira, a mixed raced South African-born player, in the English touring party. South Africa’s position on mixed teams was well-established, with New Zealand refusing to tour South Africa again after their 1960 Rugby Union tour had gone ahead only on the provision that no Maori players were including in the side. The President of South Africa, B.J. Vorster, was keen to make apartheid seem acceptable to the rest of the world and to avoid South Africa’s isolation on the international stage, and was aware that refusing to allow D’Oliveira to tour South Africa would likely result in the MCC, who were being represented by the England team, cancelling the tour and South Africa being excluded from test cricket. So, as Papas presciently indicates in this cartoon, Vorster attempted to pressure the MCC into not selecting D’Oliveira for the tour, under the pretence that he was left out based on his form. The South African government also attempted to bribe D’Oliveria into making himself unavailable for the tour. These methods proved unsuccessful however, and though D’Oliveria was initially left out of the squad, seen widely as a measure purely to prevent the tour being cancelled, he was added to the touring party following an injury to an MCC team-mate, causing Vorster to ban England from South Africa if D’Oliveira was included. The subsequent cancellation of the tour marked a watershed moment in South Africa’s sporting history, turning international opinion against the apartheid regime.